


Only One

by kasey1939



Series: Only One [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU, Caroline Is An Original, F/M, sorta - Freeform, story time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:00:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4008538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasey1939/pseuds/kasey1939
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose tells the story of Klaus and Caroline to Elena,Damon,and Stefan while they’re on their way to Mystic Falls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Story Begins

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Done%20Story%20Banners/Only%20One.jpg.html)   
> 

**Disclaimer - I own nothing even remotely belonging to the Vampire Diaires, it belongs to the CW, Julie Plec, L.J Smith, etc... I earn nothing from writing beyond the desire to write even more.**

** **

****

Elena sat in the Salvatore boarding house and tried to stay calm. It was taking every ounce of her will to just keep breathing the weight that had settled on her chest was so oppressive. With every word that Rose spoke that weight grew heavier and heavier.

"So what you're saying is that the oldest vampire in the world is coming after me?"

It was always best to be clear with these sorts of things. This man, vampire, Klaus was coming to Mystic Falls putting her entire world in danger. It just seemed like the threats just kept coming to her sleepy little town.

What was that they always used to say? Nothing ever happens in Mystic Falls.

Then Damon happened, and after him Katherine, and now Klaus. Not only did the threats keep coming they just seemed to be gaining in power and darkness as they went.

"Yes, he had the woman you know as Katherine Pierce some five hundred years ago, but she got away. She managed to trick Trevor, she used her charms to convince him to turn traitor and because of that all of us, Katherine, Trevor, and myself have spent the last five centuries fleeing from Klaus. He is not a man who forgives easily or at all as far as I know." Rose sounded almost pained as she spoke, she could understand that, this was a painful topic. In more ways than one.

"But, why? Why Katherine, why Elena?" That was Stefan practical and to the point.

"I'm not sure for certain I was only ever told bits and pieces and that was so long ago that my information may not be the best. All I know is that it has something to do with their shared bloodline, their lineage. There was a curse enacted long ago and in order to break it Klaus needs the moon stone, a werewolf, a vampire, and a Petrova doppelganger. He needs to use the moonstone as a focal point with the help of a witch and sacrifice all three of these creatures on the night of the full moon in order to break this curse." She sounded so matter of fact about the whole thing. Then again she'd known about it, lived with it, for so long it probably was just fact to her now.

"So, what's the curse? Did someone make the big bad vampire limp?" And that was Damon sarcastic and certain he would always be the worst thing in the shadows.

"No one knows, at least not for certain. There are several theories about it but I think only Elijah would know for sure what it is. Some say it's the sun and the moon curse and that if Klaus were to break it than all vampires would be cured of their aversion to the sun. Others say it is a curse placed on Klaus himself. Still others believe that the curse wasn't placed on Klaus but on the one he loves most."

"Who might that be?"

Who could a man like Klaus ever love? The man who killed without thought and without remorse. Who could ever see past all the dark things he's done?

"Caroline." She repeated the name over and over in her mind, but she still couldn't believe that anyone would ever willingly be with a monster like Klaus.

"Caroline? Who is she?"

"More important how do we find her? If she is so all important to Klaus then we need her, she could be our leverage to get him out of town and out of our lives forever."  
Rose looked almost ill after Damon's little announcement.

"That is not a good idea. Klaus does love Caroline, that's for sure, and she loves him in return. To harm one is to invite the wrath of the other. If you think that what Klaus is planning now is bad if he so much as thinks that you're planning to move against Caroline then he will slaughter this entire town. Painfully and slowly. Just to make a point."

He wouldn't really do that would he? Kill an entire town just because he thinks that someone in that town might be plotting against this woman. That's insanity.

"That's insane." She heard herself say before she even realized she's opened her mouth to speak.

"That's Klaus. He's ruthless at the best of times but if you threaten the people he loves especially Caroline his rage knows no limits and he has no mercy."

  
She sounded like she was speaking from experience and if she was then that would explain why she'd looked so pale at so much as the thought of hurting this Caroline woman. She had a feeling that the don't hurt Caroline lesson was one that you only needed to learn once.

"Look, it's obvious that you know more than you've already told us so since you don't want us going after this Caroline, convince us not to, tell us about her about them." Stefan again being practical. Caroline still seemed to be their best option and the more information they had going in the better.

"Fine I'll tell you the story as I know it. Some of it might be wrong but this is the version I've always heard. Not that anyone's ever dared to tell it within his hearing. The way the story goes is that Klaus knew Caroline back in the time before. Back when he was human..."

_"Niklaus, we need to be more careful, I think your family is starting to suspect that you are not being truthful with them."_

_Oh, his Caroline was gorgeous even when she was worried. She was worried about nothing of course his entire family still believed him to be enamored with Tatia like his besotted older brother Elijah. As though he would ever fall in love with his brothers dark beauty when he had this golden goddess in his arms._

_He still remembered when they had first met some six moons past, he had been besotted with his brother’s girl back then, and after finding the two of them locked in an embrace in the forest he had run off to the nearby waterfall to sulk and bemoan his life._

_When he had first reached the falls he had thought himself alone until he sat on the bank just in time for his goddess to break the water’s surface. At first he had thought her a creature of some sorts maybe a siren or a water nymph until she had spotted him at the water’s edge staring at her. She had screamed so loud he had been tempted to cover his ears before watching her move quickly to the shore and her clothes._

_After that day he had been obsessed with his beauty of the water. He sketched her image constantly always careful not to let anyone see them, and he returned to the falls every day waiting for her to return. When she finally did he had been so pleased it had taken him a moment to note the fear in her eyes and several visits thereafter to finally make it fade. Now they were inseparable, together as often as possible, they always met at the falls before heading off on some adventure or another._

_She was fearless in all things. She did not act like any woman he had ever met before and he found that refreshing and exhilarating. He found the longer that he knew her the less he wanted to share her so they kept their association a secret from his family and his village._

_She lived alone with only her mother in a house in the woodlands between his village and the werewolves’ territory so it was only his family that was kept in the dark. It had not been hard to let them all believe that he was still heartsick over Tatia even though now he rarely ever even thought of her other than to remark about her relationship with Elijah. Now being able to look at the situation without his heart being involved he had begun to realize how manipulative and insincere she was in her affections. When he had tried to explain this to his brother he was accused of jealousy and told to mind his tongue._

_That was one of the main things he loved about Caroline she never looked down upon him nor did she ever assume the reason behind his actions without speaking with him first and she always trusted and believed in him unlike the majority of his family._

_"We are careful love, and as it is now I do not care if they do find out about us. I love you and you love me and I do not care who knows it. We will be together forever you and I."_

"Most people say that that promise is what started the vampire race."

"What do you mean?" How could a promise to be together forever start an entire race?

"It's said that Klaus and his family are the Original vampires that every vampire in existence is descendant of them. They say that Caroline was the first vampire ever spawned by them, the first of the next generation. That if Klaus hadn't wanted to keep his promise and be with her forever and then tried to turn her that none of them would have known it was possible to create more like themselves and they would have been the only vampires in existence."

"Oh goodie this fairy-tale has a moral. Let's all guess what it is."

"Mock all you want Damon but you were the ones who asked to hear this story I would be just as fine with not telling it at all. Klaus is on his way I think we would all be better served preparing for his arrival rather than having a nice long chat about ancient history."

She could understand that, but she also knew that knowledge is power and the more you had the better off you would be in a fight. They need to hear this, if it was true, then Klaus had a weakness.

  


Klaus paced around his bedroom in his new home. Mystic Falls had changed a great deal over the centuries, he hadn't stepped foot here since he'd been turned, and now that he was back he could honestly say he hadn't missed it at all. Since he'd come back he'd been plagued by memories of his human life, he hadn't been able to focus, so instead he focused on the one good thing that had happened here for him. Caroline.

If he closed his eyes he could still see everything, every moment they spent together while their hearts were still beating, all of it with crystal clarity.

Shaking himself he brought his mind back to the present, that was all that mattered at the moment, the doppelganger was here and this curse was nearly at an end. He'd found out the girls name, Elena Gilbert, but it seems she's been a little harder to find than anticipated. She wasn't at home, or at school, in fact no one around town at seen either her or her brother for days. She was hiding from him.

He shouldn't be surprised that was the Petrova way of course, he had yet to meet a single one that would just stand their ground and fight. Caroline would he knew, even when the odds were against her his Caroline always fought. She never gave up; he didn't think she knew how.

Looking around their temporary home he saw signs of his girl everywhere. A perfectionist, nothing entered their home without her approval, everything was always tasteful and immaculate. He couldn't care less so he always left all the decorating and party planning to her and it always worked in his favor to do so.

He had loved Caroline for a thousand years and he would love her for thousands more. They would never be parted the two of them. Never.

"Nik? What are you doing?"

"Nothing darling, just thinking about our next move. Any thoughts?" He always asked her opinion; she was as cunning as he was and twice as ruthless if push comes to shove.

"Well, you need to find the girl but can't find her or her family correct. Well then if you can't find her family by blood, find her family by soul, where are her friends?"

Of course! This girl wasn't like Katerina who'd had no one and trusted just as many people, no this girl was outgoing and surrounded by people. Now all he had to do was find these people Elena kept close to her heart and then decide what to do with them.

Kill them one at a time to draw her out? Take them and use them for leverage? Or maybe just trick them into giving up the girl’s whereabouts? He couldn't go to them himself, there was too much vervain floating around this town. They were on the lookout for him, but he had another option available to him.

"Darling it's been awhile how do you feel about going back to school?"

"Sounds like fun."

Turning to face her he was as always in awe of her beauty. She hadn't changed a bit; she was still his Siren of the Falls.

  



	2. Of Secrets and Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose tells everyone more about Klaus and Caroline during their human days, while Caroline makes a new friend in high school.

Rose couldn't believe that she was sitting here in the same town she was sure Klaus was already in leading story time. This was all in the past why did it matter so much to them now? _Now_ , their only options were stand and fight and therefore die or run and never look back and keep running for the rest of their lives.

Looking for another way was going to kill them all. Still, she was tired of running and without Trevor she had no reason to live any longer if they thought what she knew could help them avoid her fate then she would tell them all she remembered.

She could tell they were still planning on going after Caroline, seeing her as his weakness, hopefully by the end of the story they would understand just how wrong they were.

"So where were we?"

"Big bad Klaus had been whipped enough to promise his darling love forever."

"Yes Damon thank you for your help." Honestly the less time she spent with that particular vampire the better. He was so young and yet so arrogant she doubted he would last much longer in the world.

"Yes, Klaus had promised Caroline forever but he would soon learn just how hard a promise that would be to keep when...."

_"He is hiding something from us Mikael."_

_"Really Esther what could Niklaus possibly be hiding from us? The boy is so weak every thought shows on his face." Mikael would never understand the boy; he was nothing like the rest of his sons who were strong and something to be proud of._

_"I tell you he has a secret. He keeps slipping away at all hours and staying away some times for the whole of the day. He has not so much as looked at Tatia in days and Rebekah tells me he does not speak of her any more either. I think he may have a new love."_

_"So what if he does? If that is so then it could only be for the good, at the very least it will help keep the peace between him and Elijah." All the better in his opinion, all of their in-fighting had been beyond troublesome._

_"Then why hide her from us? And who could it be? None of the girls of the village have been disappearing with him. I fear his new love may be of the wolves."_

_"Niklaus knows better than to consort with the likes of them, but if you are truly worried I will tell Finn to follow him when next he leaves. We will learn this secret of his then we will act on it if we need to. Better love?" He had learned long ago that humoring a worried woman was at times al that kept the peace within the household._

_"Yes, of course, thank you."_

_Esther knew that Mikael did not understand he still thought that Niklaus was his own, but she knew better. She was afraid that the blood of the wolf that flowed through her sons veins would one day lead him astray._

_He was just so different from the others she worried constantly that her secret would be discovered, that her shame would be laid bare for the entire family to see. No, she needed to know what he was doing so that she could protect herself, she would tell Finn to tell her of Niklaus’s dealings before going to his father. Finn was her darling boy she knew he would do it if she asked it of him._

_Caroline paced the water’s edge and waited for him, she knew he would be here soon, he always came. Hearing the rustling of the trees behind her she turned and smiled at the sight of him. Seeing him always made her smile. He was the light of her life, and she hoped she was the same for him, though she would never say such to him._

_She knew how men were; her father had been much the same before he died. They can feel more love for you than any other in this world, but never will the words pass their lips. They think to admit to love is to admit to weakness. Niklaus was different he told her often how much he loved her but still she feared that if she was too forward he would vanish from her life never to return and that she could not bare._

_"Niklaus, you came!"_

_"Of course I did love; I will always come for you."_

_She let him pull her into his embrace before leaning up inviting him to kiss her. Oh, how his kisses made her head spin. She wanted to continue kissing him forever._

_The two were so caught up in each other they failed to notice his brother Finn just within the trees watching them with fascination. So it was true then, Niklaus had the love of another. Headed back to the village he was determined to share this news so they could know why he felt the need to hide it from them. He wanted to go straight to their father, but he had made a promise to mother and so he went to her first._

_"It is as you said mother, he has a woman, but she is not of our village."_

_"A wolf?"_

_"What else could she be?" They and the wolves were all there was here in this wilderness._

Wow, Elena could barely believe it. Klaus's own brother had ratted him out to their mother. Not only that but what he'd told her hadn't even been right. Well...

"Caroline wasn't a wolf though was she?" If she had been wouldn't it have come up before.

"No, at least not in the version of the story I've heard. You have to understand there are dozens of versions out there, each slightly different. No one really knows what if fact and what is fantasy."

"Why doesn't anyone know the truth?" If Klaus and Caroline loved each other so much wouldn't they like, want to share the story of their love? She was always telling people about how Matt asked her out back when they were together.

"The only ones who were alive back then were Caroline, Klaus, and his family. While Klaus made Caroline immediately after being turned the others waited a good two hundred years before doing the same. Not to mention that we're talking about centuries of the telephone game here, you know I heard it from someone who heard it from someone. That's how so many different versions got spread. No one tells the story within their hearing for fear they heard the wrong one and will be punished for telling a lie about them."

"So what happened next?" She knew she sounded like a small child eager for the rest of a thrilling story, but she couldn't help it. That was exactly how she felt at the moment. The story of Klaus and Caroline was just so enthralling.

Caroline didn't know what to think about Mystic Falls High, or the people in it. She had never gone to school really, back when she was human you learned by doing, and after she became what she was now and time passed until it became common to go for formal education rather than a luxury for the rich, she had already learned all she needed to know through experience.

It all just seemed so pointless to her.

Whenever she and Klaus would settle down in this modern world she would always say she was eighteen so that no one would ever question why she wasn't in school. She had been seventeen when she was given her new longer life so it wasn't a stretch to pass for a year older physically.

Deciding to just go with the flow like she normally would when facing something new or foreign to her she marched right up to the front doors and walked in like she owned the place. When in doubt always look like you belong.

Finding the front office wasn't hard at all and luckily they had already bled all the vervain out of the office secretary the night before and compelled her not to question Caroline or her records.

Now to find some of Elena Gilbert’s friends so she could get out of this stupid town with all its memories as soon as possible. It wasn't that she hated Mystic Falls; it was that she hated what being here was doing to Nik. It had taken him centuries to put his past to rest and being here was just making everything come flooding back again.

They would find this girl, break the curse, and leave simple as that. She would not allow for any other outcome and when she wanted something she always got it, no matter what.

**_'Hey have you seen Elena lately?'_ **

The question came from down the hall; she had been listening for any mention of Elena or her brother Jeremy. It could not be this easy could it? Either the girl had some very stupid friends or she hadn't told them about what was happening so they were just confused about her abrupt departure from their lives.

**_'No, Matt I haven't. Maybe you could ask Bonnie she might know. Those two are like joined at the hip, you know sister from another mister and all.'_ **

Matt and Bonnie now that she had names to work with this would just be easy as pie now wouldn't it. She didn't know what to hope for. That it would be easy and therefore boring or hard and exciting. Either way she supposed it would at least be something different.

She made it to the end of the hall just in time to see a blonde boy in a letterman jacket and owner of the voice she heard heading away from the crowd. Easy it was then.

"Matt? Hi, I'm a friend of Elena's I couldn't help but hear that you were looking for her. She was having a little bit of trouble at her house and she asked to stay over with my family for a bit while Jeremy was away. You could come over and visit after school if you want." She kept her smile sweet and honest, no threat here. The fact that she looked like one of those cheerleader types went a long way towards the look as well. Cheerleaders weren't threats after all, they were just cheerleaders. Especially to a jock.

"Ah, sure that sounds great, I'm sorry I didn't get your name." His smile was open and engaging, happy to meet someone new.

"Oh, I'm Caroline." Way too easy, people these days were just too trusting.

Klaus was sitting in his studio trying not to worry too much about Caroline and what was happening to her while he wasn't at her side. She had not been away from his side for more than an hour in decades now, not since the last time she'd been hurt.

He just kept telling himself that it would all be worth it in the end. That the faster they found the newest Petrova or Gilbert as the case may be, the faster they could leave this place and all of its memories behind.

He didn't hate this place, no he was lying he did hate this place with a passion always had and always would; he mostly hated what it was doing to Caroline.

Ever since they had crossed the town line she had been frazzled and stressed. She was worried about him and he knew that, but he also knew why, and he doubted she noticed the real reason behind it. Yes, this place was bringing up bad memories for him, but it was bringing up just as many unpleasant memories for her and if she focused on him and his reactions she wouldn't have to deal with her own.

He knew her well and after her day at school he was going to have to distract her as much as possible.

Hearing the door open he glanced at the clock and noticed that hours had passed as he was lost in thought. Looking at his newest painting he found it nearly done, he couldn't wait until she saw it. He had made it just for her, a reminder of happy memories here to counter the bad ones that had been plaguing them both.

It was a painting of the falls where they'd met, all those years ago.

"Nik I'm home and I brought a present."

Rushing down he found her standing in the entry way with a blonde football player who looked to be about seventeen.

"Well, love I see you've made a friend." His first instinct was jealousy, but the mischief in her eyes belied any true interest in the boy. He really was a “present” in her eyes, a gift, a way to pass the time.

"I have, Nik meet Matt Donovan, Elena's ex-boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you mate, I'm sure we have plenty to talk about."

  
  



	3. Paintings of Wolves and Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose tells everyone about the event that started it all, while Klaus and Caroline have some fun with art.

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/Only%20One/Chapter%203.jpg.html)

  
  


Rose sat at the kitchen table with a blood bag and tried to tune out the fight in the other room. The Salvatore’s were smothering the poor girl and they didn't realize that if they kept pushing her they would only be pushing her right out the door.

She turned when she heard them headed her way and knew they were about to demand to know more. For people who needed her and wanted her cooperation they were very arrogant and demanding. As though they thought they were owed her aide. If she didn't hate Klaus so much she would have gotten up and left, especially with Damon leading the charge.

"Alright flower power, I've been out voted so let's finish this little pow wow but please tell me we're almost to the ending."

"Almost. After Klaus's mother found out about his secret affair with Caroline she wasn't able to confront him because something else happened."

"What?"

"Her son died at the hands of a werewolf. Klaus and her youngest son were caught out alone on the night of the full moon..."

_"Mother!"_

_Niklaus was holding his younger brother to him trying to stop the bleeding. He had fallen asleep halfway to the village and had yet to wake up, he knew deep down that he was dead he was just too shocked to admit it. This could not have happened to him, if his brother was dead then it was his fault._

_"Niklaus what-"_

_"Henrik is hurt, one of the wolves-"_

_He felt his brother being pulled from his arms and couldn't hold back his sobs any longer. He watched as his mother began to wail and he could not stand to stay any longer. He staggered to his feet and began to stumble towards the woods, towards Caroline. He heard his sister Rebekah calling his name but could not even look back or tell her not to worry. He needed Caroline._

_"Niklaus come back!"_

_He lost track of time as he walked one step at a time towards his love and his salvation. She would not look at him with blame and condemnation in her eyes, she would love him regardless._

_"Niklaus?"_

_"Caroline my love, I am sorry I know it is late but -"_

_"Niklaus what has happened? You are covered with blood are you injured? Was there a fight or the wolves?"_

_She looked so fearful at the thought that he might be harmed; he nearly could not bring himself to tell her it was he who had caused the harm this night._

_"I am well but my younger brother Henrik was... he was killed by a wolf. We got separated and by the time I found him night had already fallen and the wolves were roaming. We tried to find shelter but the wolves found us first. I carried his body home but could not remain there."_

_"Come in Niklaus, come inside you look so sad it breaks my heart to see you so."_

_"Your mother?"_

_"She is not at home, every full moon she stays closer to the wolves village to help the ones who do not turn last the night."_

_He felt her hand slip into his own as she began to pull him towards her home. When they finally stepped across the threshold she slowly and gently pushed him to sit on her bed. He watched her begin to gather a bowl of wash water and a cloth before returning to kneel between his legs so that she could reach him easily. She began to gently remove his brothers blood from his face and hands as he silently sat there trying not to think about what had happened only a few hours before._

_He felt her pulling at his clothes and was startled to find his chest bare as she began to remove the blood that had trailed down from his face and dripped down his shirt to his chest. Once the blood was finally gone and all evidence of his brothers ... death... had been removed he noticed how her hands looked against his chest and he suddenly had a yearning to see more of her skin against his own._

_"Caroline?"_

_Her name came out as a question but he could see from the way her eyes changed that she understood._

_"Yes, Niklaus I..."_

_Words seemed to fail her before she surged up on her knees and captured his lips with her own._

_It was not sex, it was not even making love, it was healing. She healed him with her touch and her acceptance. They lay in the bed together the sheet barely covering them both sweat coating their bodies causing it to stick to their skin. He lay there with his head on her chest just listening to her heartbeat strong and steady as she softly sang to him a lullaby. It was his brother’s favorite as a child and he finally wept silent tears for his loss and his family. She never judged him, nor did she fall silent until well after sleep had claimed him. Hearing her voice and the steady beat of her heart soothed him like nothing else could in that moment. She was alive and here with him, he may have lost his beloved brother but his true beloved was still here with him and always would be._

"Oh, the original d-bag had a soft and mushy heart once upon a time. I'm touched seriously I might just have to sit down and have a good cry now."

"Damon!"

"What? How does this help us exactly? What can this information possibly do for us now?" He was glaring at Rose throughout his entire little speech and that just made her defensive; boy did he rub her the wrong way.

"I don't know Damon; you were the ones who insisted I tell it to you."

"That was before I knew it was less of a story and more of a novel sister."

"He is over a thousand years old Damon did you truly believe I could tell you his story in ten minutes?"

"Whatever." He left in a huff closely followed by the other Salvatore and Elena who were giving her quiet looks of apology with every step they took. She didn't know what she was still doing here, they were so ungrateful, but now that she'd started the story she found she wanted more than anything to finish it.

Matt could not believe that this was happening to him. He was hanging from his wrists in the center of a room that was splattered with his blood. He'd asked them why they were doing this to him but the answer made even less sense than what they were doing. They wanted all the vervain out of his system, what the hell was vervain? Why was it in his system? More importantly what the hell were they going to do when it was out of his system? They had left him alone for now at least, he didn't know if he wanted them to just kill him or what. 

Klaus was in his studio again, he loved to paint whenever he was thinking, and he had a lot to think about. What to do whenever all the vervain had left the quarterback was at the forefront of his mind. Hearing Caroline behind him he turned to see what she was doing and found her leaning in the doorway simply watching him.

"Yes, love?"

"Nothing, just enjoying the view."

So it was like that was it? He loved it when she was in a playful mood, he hadn't seen that since they'd come back here. 

"I'm just painting love nothing you haven't seen before I'm sure." What was she up to?

"Well then let me help."

She reached over dipping two fingers in the red paint before bringing them up and trailing them across his face.

"So it's like that is it love?" Grabbing her and pulling her in close for a searing kiss he poured all his feelings for her into that one gesture. Pulling back they were both breathless and hungry for more.

Putting a little extra strength into it he shoved her back onto the sofa and watched her stretch out hands above her head just waiting for him to have his way with her any way he chose. Have her he would.

Reaching down he grabbed both sides of her shirt and tore it right down the center before grabbing her skirt and pulling leaving her in nothing but the tattered remains of her bra and her thigh high boots. She looked stunning as always, her hair fanned out around her shimmering like gold in the fire light.

Grabbing his paint brush, the one left forgotten when she entered, he dipped it in the red paint. Kneeling on the sofa one knee between her spread legs he leaned forward and placed it against her throat trailing it down slowly following the lines of her body. Sweeping it lightly across her breasts he watched her nipples tighten under his attentions as she arched up towards him silently begging for more.

"Patience love."

He followed her body down in a straight line until he got to her dainty little foot. Then starting where the paint ended her ran his tongue back up again following the line back dead center. The taste of the paint mixed with the honey of her skin tingling across his tongue. When he made his way back to her breast he slowly pulled her nipple into his mouth scraping his teeth along the pebbled flesh.

Pulling away he placed the brush on the other side and started again. Following along her entire body until she screamed with frustration and begged for more. He loved her more than anything else in the world. He had loved her at his beginning and he would continue to love her until his end.

Matt was moaning in agony, every muscle felt like it was on fire, and he could barely keep his head up he was so weak and tired. He was dying. Hearing the door open he watched them come back and not for the first time hoped they were going to just kill him. They were both splattered with paint and smiling like they hadn't a care in the world, which considering what they were doing to him, did not give him hope for his future. They were psychotic and he still had no idea what they wanted from him.

"Ah, Matt you're still awake, good for you boy. Now that all the vervain has finally cleared your system we can get down to business."

He felt a hand under his chin just before everything fell away. He felt like he was floating lost in the other man’s eyes.

"Now, why don't you tell me about your friend Elena, I want to know everything."


	4. Old Spells and New Deals

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/Only%20One/Chapter%204.jpg.html)

  
  


"So what happened after Klaus got all hot and heavy with his honey for the first time? Oh my god was he a virgin? Please tell me he was that would just make my day!"

"Damon!"

"What? Don't act like that wouldn't just amuse the hell out of you too."

Rose was really beginning to feel pity for the younger Salvatore. It really must not be easy trying to control someone so obviously uncontrollable. Taking a deep breathe she decided to deal with him as she always dealt with those who annoyed her in the past. She would ignore his out bursts and continue on with what she was doing until she was blissfully done and could either kill him or simply leave his presence.

"After Klaus's night with Caroline he went back to his village to mourn the death of his brother with his family though he half expected to be blamed for his death and cast out. What he didn't know was that during the night while he was with his love, his parents had not slept either. Instead they had made a decision, one to help protect the rest of their children from the threat of the wolves. They had already lost one child to sickness before coming to the new world and now another to the monsters that were their neighbors they were not about to lose anymore not if they could help it. But to do this they needed help...."

_"Ayana please you are my oldest and dearest friend I need your help with this spell. I cannot do this on my own."_

_Esther knew her friend and mentor wanted no part in what she had planned, what she was asking for went against every rule she had ever been taught. She was going to change the balance of things and that was not something to be done lightly or often. But these were her children, she would change the entire world if she had to in order to make them safe once more._

_"What you ask is impossible Esther. One cannot simply stop werewolves from shifting on the full moon it is what they do, it is their nature. You know it is impossible to do this thing, even with magic, why would you ask for what I can not give?"_

_She was becoming desperate, her children needed to be safe. If she could not eliminate the threat then there had to be something else she could do._

_"If we cannot make the wolves weaker can we make the children stronger?"_

_Oh bless her husband for being so quick of wit, yes, that was something that could be done._

_"Ayana?"_

_"It is possible, but it would take a great deal of magic and the consequences and ripples of such an action would be numerous and unpredictable. Go home this night and discuss it truly give yourselves time to understand what it is you are asking for, then if you still wish to walk this path come back to me at day break and we shall continue this discussion."_

_She knew from the look on her friends face that her decision was final she would not do anything more until they had time to decide properly and she could not do this without her help so they had no choice. Taking her husbands hand she led him back to their home and their sleeping children where they sat without speaking, barely even breathing, and waited for the sun to rise._

_As the light finally began to fill the sky they both stood and walked quietly side by side back to her friends home where she stood in the doorway waiting for them a look of resignation on her face. She had known they would not change their minds but she had felt compelled to give them that chance, as she always did._

_"You have decided then?"_

_"They are my children."_

_"Very well, I shall aide you in this but there are some conditions you much meet before I do understood."_

_"What?" What conditions could she possibly ask for? Her childrens safety was on the line did she truly believe there would be things she would refuse to do for that?_

_"I will do this for your family Esther, but I will only do it for your entire family, I see it in your eyes this choice to leave one of your young behind. This I will no allow, this protection will either be for all of your children or it will be for none of them."_

_How could she demand such a thing? After that little bastard allowed her baby boy to die at the hands of his filthy brethren, and now she was expected to protect him? No!_

_"No!"_

_"No!"_

_Her husband answered at the same time she did with just as much force. They refused to allow that mongrel to remain, he was no longer family. When the coward finally returned from where he had run to hide then Mikael would challenge him and once defeated he would either be banished or killed. They had yet to decide which he deserved more. To walk the world alone or to walk the world no more._

_"This is my condition, my only condition. It is your right to banish him if you so desire, after and only after, he is as protected from the wolves as the others. Do you accept or do we forget this entire mess now?"_

_So that was her aim, she asked the one thing she thought they would never agree to in an attempt to maintain her precious balance. Well, for every problem there was an answer and she knew just what to do about this one._

_"Very well, but my husband will receive the same benefits from the spell that my children do. They will need a strong guiding influence with their new found strength." And this way Mikael would still have the strength to kill Niklaus._

_"Agreed."_

"Oh my god, his parents plotted to kill him? But it was an accident it wasn't like he killed his brother with his own hands or anything!"

Elena simply could not believe it. What kind of parents did that to their child?

"True, but you must remember each of his parents had their own reasons for wanting him dead, the death of his brother while he was responsible for him was just a handy excuse, or so the story goes."

"Why did they want him dead?"

"It is said that Klaus was bastard born, that he was the product of his mothers on going affair with another man. Esther was afraid that one day someone would notice, that Klaus would some how give himself away as not being her husbands son and back then such an action was not taken lightly. As for Mikael, he saw Klaus as weak and a disgrace to his family name. When he realized his wife held no love for him either he readily jumped on the excuse to rid himself of his problem."

"So they had planned to kill junior right off right? So what went wrong?"

"They needed to wait to do the spell until the next full moon, when their magic would be at it's strongest and they would actually be able to do what Esther so desperately wanted. During that time while his siblings forgave him for the accident that caused their brothers death his parents ignored Klaus treating him as though he didn't exist causing him to spend more and more time away from home and with Caroline. During that time Ayana and Esther prepared for what was to come gathering all their ingredients the only thing left to decide was who was to be the sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?"

"Yes, in order to do the spell that would make them all stronger and faster a life had to be offered in exchange for the change in balance they wanted. The spell called for the consumption of the blood of the chosen sacrifice and then the end of their former weak mortal lives. Much the way you make a vampire now, only back then it had never been done before so it was very much a leap of faith. Ayana left the choosing of the sacrifice up to Esther and Mikael saying only that it could not come from her family line."

"There's a witch for you always looking out for number one. I believe this is the cover thine own ass rule number one."

"Shut up Damon! So who did they choose?" Whose life did they take to get what they wanted.

"Well..."

_"This would be so much easier had Ayana not placed such restrictions on us. We could have used Niklaus as the sacrifice and then at least his life would have benefited the family in some way. Now who do we choose?" Mikael was furious, he needed to kill that boy and he needed to do it quickly before he brought any more shame to his name._

_"It must be someone that none would mourn or miss. Someone who is as much an outsider as they are a part of this village." But the village was so insular that was a hard thing to find._

_"One of the werewolves? Would serve them right." Oh, how he wanted to feel their blood on his hands, but that would have to wait. Once he was stronger and more their equal he would make them feel his pain._

_"No the sacrifice must be human."_

_"But who?" Who could they possible use?_

_"I know just the person husband, leave it to me."_

_"Who?"_

_"The harlot who broke my poor darling boys heart with her lies of course."_

"Tatia!" Elena could not believe it. Not realizing she had spoken out loud. Looking around the room she found everyone looking at her with different levels of amusement. "Sorry."

"Little caught up in the story there?"

She felt her cheeks start to heat with embarrassment. Looking down at her feet she mumbled another apology before silently begging Rose to continue.

"Well, while his parents had decided to end Tatia's life, Klaus had decided to change his own drastically, not knowing that his parents were about to do that for him..."

_"Caroline love I have something to ask you."_

_"What?" She knew he was nervous simply because he could not seem to meet her gaze. What could possibly be so important it made him doubt her? Had she done something? Was he trying to work up the courage to leave her? What would she do if he left?_

_"Caroline?" Looking up she saw he was looking at her now and had somehow moved closer. She must have been to far inside her own head to notice._

_"Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts, what was it you wished to ask me?" Trying to keep her panicked thoughts from playing across her face she waited for him to speak his peace. If he did wish to leave her she would find the strength to let him go, she would have to._

_Watching him closely she saw indecision chase across his eyes again before he took another step towards her before slowly sinking down on one knee._

_"Will you be my wife?"_

_She couldn't stop the tears that began to fall. Seeing his worry and resignation at the sight of them she rushed to answer him._

_"Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you!"_

_"You are weeping."_

_"With joy my love, only with joy. You looked so worried and scared I thought you meant to leave me behind."_

_"Never."_

"So Klaus and Caroline got married?" Elena was glad Stefan asked the question she was dying to hear the answer to because she knew she was still to embarrassed from her earlier interruption to do it herself.

"No, he asked her on the day of the full moon and went back to his village that evening to tell his family. Of course he never got the chance to tell them."  
That was all so sad.

"Snap out of it Elena, these two love birds are trying to kill you, no sympathy for the devil." 

Looking up she saw Damon looking at her with worry. She knew he thought this story would make her back out on their plan to take Caroline. He was right of course she had considered it, they did seem to love each other so much even the thought of hurting one of them to get to the other was beyond evil to her. But this was about survival and it was fast coming down to kill or die and they had been alive and in love for a thousand years, she deserved her chance at love to. Didn't she?

"So that's it then? Mama Original did her little whoo whoo magic trick and now we have to pay the price?"

"But wait weren't Esther and Mikael going to kill Klaus as soon as the spell took? What happened? Why is he still alive?" 

Thanks to Matt Caroline was now fully armed with a list of all of Elena Gilberts close friends. There hadn't been as many as she would have assumed from what she knew of the girl. Only one other besides Matt really and her name was Bonnie Bennett. She was headed to the girls house now, address also courtesy of Matt, to try and feel her out a little before they came to a decision about what to do next. 

Walking up to the door she had her story straight, according to Matt she was on the cheerleading squad, so she would say that she was interested in joining and that Matt directed her towards Bonnie as the person to talk to about that. Raising her hand to knock a splitting pain ripped through her mind before her hand ever even landed the first time. 

Damn witches. 

Clutching at her head she fell to her knees in agony, trying and failing to gain her footing so she could make a run for it. Hearing the door open she opened her eyes as much as she dared and stared up into the face of a smug teenage girl. 

That bitch.

"If I were you I would cease this assault at once. Believe me if you persist there will be consequences." Blood would flow through the streets without end, she knew that. Nik was a bit of a drama queen when it came to making a statement. He always said that a statement wasn't worth making if it wasn't readily remembered for the rest of the lives of the survivors. Assuming there were survivors, and if there weren't then the story should persist as a warning to any others foolish enough to attempt the same mistake later in life.

"Well, then I suppose it's a good thing you're not me. You're Caroline right?" How the hell did she know that? She let her glare answer for her.

"I figured as much, the Salvatore brothers had a feeling you might show up here eventually. I texted Stefan as soon as I felt you near my house. Luckily we've been waiting for just an opportunity like this one. Now, unfortunately I don't have the right equipment to play host to you here, but I know just the place where you'll be nice and comfy. I doubt even Klaus will be able to find you there."

Feeling the presence of another vampire rapidly approaching her from behind she knew what was coming next and she had just enough time to smile up at the little witch and laugh.

"You will regret this, I promise you that." A deep wrenching pain in her neck and suddenly the world fell away. Her last thought before she lost consciousness completely was of Klaus. He would find her she knew he would, he always did, and she held no pity for her attackers. They thought they knew the wrath of Klaus, that they were prepared, they were about to find out just how wrong they were.

"Good work judgey. Didn't think you had it in ya." Damon really was impressed. When Stefan had first suggested bringing witch wonder in on the plan he'd thought he was joking. Now it seemed like it was the best move they'd made so far. 

Looking down at Caroline, Klaus's sugar sweet love muffin, he really couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Rose made the girl sound like she was this big bad ass, all he saw when he looked at her was vampire Barbie.

Taking out his phone he called Stefan to let him know that stage one of the plan was complete and they were moving Barbie to the secure location now.

"All systems are go baby brother, we have Barbie."

"Barbie?" He could almost hear the frown of disapproval over the phone.

"What? That's what she looks like."

"Are you sure Klaus isn't somewhere around there?" He was nearly insulted by that question. Scratch that he was insulted by that question.

"Yes, I'm sure. From what Rose has been telling us, she and Klaus are all lovey dovey. If he'd been here he would have popped out the second Missy Bennett put the wammy on her. If not then he would have definitely jumped up when I snapped her neck."

"You did what!"

"How'd you think we were gonna move her Stef? If Rose is right she's at least a thousand years old and even with Bonnie's juju on her non-stop she would have still managed to give us the slip if she were conscious." The answering sigh was like a gust of wind it was so loud.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I'm always right, haven't you learned that by now? Now that your little Q and A is over time for a question of my own."

"Yeah?"

"What the hell is step two? We have Klaus's honey that's great, yay team Elena and all that, but now that we have her what the hell are we doing with her exactly?"

"I don't know." What!?

"What do you mean you don't know? It was your idea to snag her now and you don't have a plan?"

"Hey, if you're so all powerful brilliant what do you think we should do?" Of course because when the playing field got to bloody or the work got to dirty for saint Stefan it was always him they asked to step in and play villain.

"Well, first things first. Do we tell Klaus we have her or let him figure it out on his own?"

"I, I don't ... what would you do?"

"Well, that depends on what I was going for. Each way has it's own pros and cons attached. If we contact him that shows him that we think we're in charge plus going head first into danger is kind of my thing so of course that way gets my vote. Then again if we let him figure it out on his own that might take a few hours and that's a nice grace period where we can plan out our next move without having to worry about his first move. So which do you want to do baby bro, this is your show after all." It's your girl he added silently to himself.

"Just get her to the place and get her locked in tight, we'll decide on step two when you get back. Oh and bring Bonnie with you when you come back, Elena wants to see her."

"Rodger that, over and out."

Hanging up he glanced over at Bonnie in the passenger seat looking pissed of as was her usual. Honestly he was starting to think maybe she didn't have another expression besides that one.

"We're dropping off Barbie Klaus here and then we're headed back to the boarding house to map out where to take this cluster fuck from here. You're invited to come along for the ride and seeing how your place was the last place Caroline was it'll be the first place Klaus will go looking for her. It might be in your best interest if when that happens you were somewhere else."

Getting no answer, not that he really expected to get one out of her, he drove faster wanting this part over and done already. Seems that they were pulling this plan together on the fly and that was never a good way to go, but he'd play along for now. If it started going too far south he didn't care what Elena wanted they would all be packed up and out of Mystic Falls in a heartbeat.

Klaus was starting to get worried, and he didn't like being worried, he especially didn't like being worried about Caroline. All she was supposed to do was look around a little she should have been back by now. Pacing around his studio he found he was too worried to even paint. If she was off fooling around he would strangle her. Hearing his cellphone begin to blast out her ringtone he sighed with relief. Finally.

"Caroline love where are you?"

"Sorry, wrong vampire care to guess again?" Who the hell was this guy and why did he have Caroline's phone. He would rip the mans heart out of his chest.

"Who are you then mate, and why do you have Caroline's phone."

"My name is Damon Salvatore and I have Caroline's phone because I have Caroline."

Short and to the point he could respect that, too bad he was going to have to kill the boy slowly and painfully.

"Damon Salvatore, what a pleasure. I've heard so much about you, am I right to assume that this has something to do with the current doppelgänger Elena Gilbert?"

"Duh. So here' s the first offer. You leave Mystic Falls and don't come back during Elena's human lifetime. We'll keep your darling Caroline as insurance until Elena's human life comes to an end. Once that happens we'll send her back to you. Shouldn't take more than five or six decades."

The arrogant little - of all the nerve.

"If I decline your offer?"

"Then things take a turn for the violent. If you say no then we'll start to torture Caroline and we won't stop until you agree to the deal. Once you agree her stay will become far more comfortable if not luxurious. She'll get three blood bags a day and everything."

At the first mention of his Caroline being tortured he began to see red. They were threatening her! Didn't people ever learn? You never threaten Caroline if you want to live, and you never hurt Caroline if you want your loved ones to live, and you don't torture Caroline unless you want to see everything you love in life burned to the blood soaked ground.

" Good offer mate, clear concise and, straight to the point. Here's my counter offer. You will release Caroline at once, when she is release you will hand over the doppelgänger that I'm searching for and I'm quite certain that you have in your company at present. Once that is done I promise to kill you quickly and with as much mercy as I am able." It was a good deal they really should take it.

"If I decline your offer?" Hmm, obviously not as smart as they thought they were. These Salvatore brothers were truly starting to become a pain in his backside.

"If you decline I will begin to kill this entire town one insignificant little peasant at a time and I shall begin that process with Matt Donovan."

Without waiting for a response he hung up on the cocky baby vampire. Standing in the middle of his studio his mind would not calm for anything. 

They had Caroline, they planned to torture Caroline, Caroline's life was in danger.

Letting out a roar of anguish and fury he rushed around the room destroying everything in his path. This he would not allow! She would not be harmed, not ever again, he would not allow it damn it! 

Standing there for a moment in the midst of his destruction, he knew she would not be pleased to see what he'd done to the furniture she'd picked for him nor would the state of the walls help the situation any, he came to a decision. 

As much as it pained him to do so for the moment he would wait. Even though she had the age of an Original she was not one in truth which meant it would be only to easy for one of them to kill her under the right circumstances. No he would bide his time and wait for them to make a mistake, and they would make a mistake of that he was certain, then he would have his vengeance upon them all.

Leaving the room he decided to take out his frustrations on the quarterback who'd sent them to Bonnie Bennett and the trap waiting there in the first place.

"So, Damon, what did he say?"

He knew he should tell them, it would only be right to tell them, but he knew if he did Elena would want to hand Caroline back over to save Matt and that would ruin everything.

"He's gonna have to think about it."


	5. From Death Comes Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turning.

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/Only%20One/Chapter%205.jpg.html)

  
  


Rose sat waiting for everyone to settle down, the return of Damon and the arrival of the Bennett witch had stirred everyone up.

"Please tell me story time is almost over, miss-y Rose, I want to get to nap time."

"Yes, Damon the story is almost over, soon enough you will have all the information I do, then you can try whatever misguided plan you're cooking up in that tiny little brain of yours and I'll be sure to raise a glass for you when I hear about your demise when I'm halfway around the world hiding from our mutual enemy."

"Oh, how nice of you." Sighing she looked to Elena for help. When it came to the elder Salvatore the doppelgänger seemed to be the only one who could control him even slightly.

"Enough Damon, so Rose where were we?"

"The turning, Klaus had just proposed to Caroline and was on his way back to his village to tell his family the good news and also to tell them that he would be leaving them now to be with Caroline."

"Wait so they were a day away from being rid of him like they wanted? You're telling me that if they had just waited a few hours and heard his news then mama and daddy original would have had all their dreams come true? That is hilarious."

"Damon!"

"Yes, if they had waited then they would have been rid of Klaus and maybe he never would have been turned in the first place. But, since that didn't happen how about we focus on what did happen instead. While Klaus was walking back his parents were starting the spell that would inevitably create the vampire race...."

_"Are you sure about this. You must be certain for once this is done it can never be undone."_

_"We are certain Ayana now please help me."_

_She looked into her old friends eyes and saw the determination there that she had only ever seen in this family. They were all so stubborn and once they set their mind to something that was it there were no other options, not for any of them. Ayana knew that this thing they were attempting to do would bring nothing but pain and suffering to them all but she also knew that it was going to happen with or without her help and she would rather have a hand in it than have it take her wholly by surprise._

_"Very well let us begin."_

_Klaus had just reached his brothers home when the moon began to rise he could hear the howling of wolves in the distance and the sound made him shudder in revulsion. He did not think he would ever think the same way about the wolves again after what had happened to his beloved brother. Raising his hand to knock he was greeted by his brother Elijah at the door._

_"Enter brother, we have worried for you since the sun began to set. You know it is unsafe to be out this night."_

_Walking past his brother he found all of his siblings huddled around the fire._

_"Where are mother and father?"_

_"They will be here soon, they spoke of needing to help Ayana with something before they returned to be with us."_

_Should he tell his siblings now while they were alone or should he wait for his parents return. In the weeks since his brothers death his parents had been increasingly cold to him and he knew they would be more than pleased to see the end of him but he did not think they would be pleased to hear his news. Mind made up he decided to tell the ones that loved him first._

_"I have news."_

_"What is it brother?" Rebekah leaned forward eager to hear the news that made her brother glow with such excitement._

_"I am to be wed."_

_"To Tatia?"_

_"No, brother mine, have no fear it is not her I speak of. She is yours if you still wish her to be by your side. No, I have been in love with another for some time now. Her name is Caroline she and her mother live between our village and the wolves. This night she has consented to be my wife."_

_"That is fantastic brother, I am happy for you and can not wait to meet this girl who has bewitched you so body and soul."_

_"And I can not wait for you to meet her. I know you will love her as much as I do."_

_"Tell us about her Nik."_

_Before he could open his mouth to answer his sister the door swung open quickly and their father rushed in sword in hand. At first they all panicked thinking the wolves were attacking until in one swift move their father ran his sword through Elijah's chest delivering a mortal blow. They were all so confused they could not move until Finn had been felled as well. Seeing their elder brothers fall snapped them all into action he and Kol rushed at their father as their sweet sister Rebekah ran for the door. They were knocked back easily and within moments they were all on the floor struggling to breathe. He felt his fathers sword as it slid from his chest._

_"You should be grateful boy. This is a gift I give you, the last you will ever get from me."_

_The last thing he thought of before his world fell away was of Caroline and what a beautiful bride she would have been._

Bonnie sat stunned as she listened to the tale of how the originals came to be. How could anyone be so cruel?

"Why would they do that? Why didn't they talk to them first, explain, give them a choice?"

"They thought they were protecting their children and Ayana was clear in her demands it had to be all of them or none of them. Esther and Mikael were afraid that if they gave them a choice that they would refuse and that would leave their family forever vulnerable to the wolves around them."

Even still, they deserved to have a choice didn't they? She knew that most people who were turned into vampires weren't given any kind of a choice in the matter, Damon and Stefan had been compelled to the point that even though they were given the choice it was essentially made for them. Many others were the same so she didn't know why she thought the originals had been any different. 

It just seemed more wrong some how, she'd always thought that being the first vampires and all, that they had chosen this. That they'd gone into it eyes wide open knowing the consequences and selfishly deciding to do it anyway. This story made them sound like victims though and she was a little worried about hearing any more. If she was starting to feel sorry for Klaus she didn't think she wanted to know anything about Caroline.

"What happened next?"

"Esther and Ayana finished the spell calling on the moons power while Mikael helped them to complete the transformation forcing them to drink human blood when they woke. The change took place almost instantly. They were stronger, faster, and angrier. Their own father had attacked them, killed them even, as vampires when faced with this threat their first instinct was to attack. But when they tried to attack Mikael after first transitioning they found themselves being forced out of their home by an unseen force."

"They hadn't been invited in." Stefan was the first to understand.

"No, they hadn't, it was their fathers home and he hadn't transitioned yet. Not that they understood that, there had never been vampires before remember and the rules hadn't been established yet. All the things you and I know to be fact about our kind the originals found out by trial and error. While Rebekah, Kol, Finn, and Elijah all kept trying to get back into their home and to their father consumed by their instinct to kill, Klaus's mind was only consumed by one thing."

"Caroline."

"Exactly, she was what he thought of as he died and she was all he thought of once he was reborn. He quickly left his siblings behind and using his new found speed he ran to her side..."

_"Caroline!" Klaus pounded on the door which blocked him from his beloved, desperate to see her face to know she was alive and safe._

_"Nik, darling what is the matter?"_

_When the door flew opened he tried to will himself across the threshold but found he could no more enter her home than he could his own. He was locked out._

_"Nik, you're bleeding what's happened. Quickly come inside before the wolves catch the sent of your blood."_

_Just like that the barrier was lifted and he was free to be with her again, to hold her in his arms._

_"Oh, my love, the strangest thing has happened. I would explain it to you but I do not know where to begin nor do I truly understand it myself."_

_"That can wait for now, sit and let me tend to your wounds."_

_He sat as she asked and found himself lost in his thoughts as he tried to understand what his father had done to him. The trip here that would normally take several hours, he managed it in moments. He could not enter without an invitation. He could hear things from so far away that it was nearly maddening. He had died and yet here he sat living still, or maybe living again. The more he thought the less he understood. His mind was brought back to the present by the sound of Caroline's hum of confusion._

_"I can not seem to find a wound. There is a whole in the shirt where I know you were cut and there is blood but I see no injury. Niklaus what has happened?"_

_"I do not know." He hated that he sounded so lost but he was becoming more and more frightened the more he tired to understand. The sound of a crash made his head jerk up quickly. Seeing the bowl that held the wash water in pieces on the ground he realized that it must have slipped out of her hands while she was trying to put it away. But the shards of porcelain were not what held his interest, no what held him transfixed was the cut on her finger that was dripping blood._

"Going into bloodlust haze around your girl, never a good thing."

"Thank you Damon, we would never have guessed that. Whatever would we do without your genius insights to see us through this?"

"Is that sarcasm, cause if it is then you've got some work to do if you want to get up to my level cause that was just pathetic."

"Alright you two settle down."

Stefan had, had just about enough of Damon and Rose bickering back and forth. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what came next in the story of Klaus and Caroline. Obviously he didn't kill her because she was still alive today, but he more than most of them knew that killing someone was far from the worst thing you could do when triggered by the scent of their blood. The more he found out about them, the more he felt sorry for them.

He wasn't feeling bad enough to back down from their plan, Elena's life was just as important after all, but he did feel bad for the humans they once were. They had just been going along with their lives doing whatever they needed to in order to get through to the next day when an accident changed everything. They were never meant to be this thing they had become and now more than ever he wondered just how things would have gone in all their lives if Esther had never cast her spell.

Granted he hadn't known until recently that that was what had created his kind but over the years he had wondered how things would have been different if there had never been vampires in the world. How would his life in 1864 have been different? Would he have been happy? Would Elena be happy? She would definitely have been safer that was for sure. Without vampires in the world the danger level goes down dramatically. In trying to save her own children Esther had condemned everyone else.

Even knowing that he couldn't hate her and the more he learned about Klaus and Caroline the less he hated them as well. Unfortunately, no matter what Damon said, he was sure that Klaus didn't feel the same way about them.

Klaus stood in front of the bleeding boy hanging from his ceiling and tried to get his rage under control. Even now covered in the boys blood he only wanted more, they had taken Caroline and there was only one response to that. Hearing someone behind him he tensed for a moment before spinning around to confront this new threat.

"Hello, brother up to your old tricks I see. Where is the lovely Caroline, I do prefer talking to you when your better half is here to help keep you reasonable."

"Elijah."


	6. Curses Cast and Hearts Removed

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Rose wasn't sure why they were still going over the story or Klaus's past when it was obvious that he was in town now. In her opinion they should be more worried about what he was doing now than what he did back then. She wasn't going to argue though, the more information they had the less likely they were to do something reckless to get them all worse than dead.

"So what came next, madam Rose?"

"Well Klaus was transfixed by the sight of Caroline's blood and with it his blood lust rose but his love for Caroline was by far his most powerful emotion. It overpowered his killing rage at his father before and it over powered his blood lust as well. Without uttering a single word he vamp sped out of her home and went in search of something or someone else to feed from. On the night of the full moon of course the first thing he found was a werewolf..."

_Klaus didn't understand it, he had feared the wolves for nearly the whole of his life, but now looking at this one all he felt was hunger. Normally seeing a wolf would send him running in the other direction praying for safe shelter with every step he took, but now all he wanted was to attack it, to tear it apart and get to the blood that he could hear and smell just beneath the surface of its skin. It was all powerful, all consuming, and he was helpless to stand against it. With that last coherent thought he attacked and gave in to his urges._

"But Klaus wasn't simply a vampire, because when he was human he was born to his witch mother and her werewolf lover, making him a werewolf by birth. When he made his first kill as a vampire it activated his werewolf side, and created the first ever hybrid of the two."

"If Esther knew that he was a werewolf, then why did she turn him into a vampire?" It didn't make any sense to Bonnie, why make a predator an even deadlier monster?

"Esther couldn't very well admit to adultery to her husband and her best friend, and she thought that becoming one would negate the other. She did not think it would be possible for one to be both, but like always Klaus proved her wrong. After his werewolf side was triggered he shifted for the first time. Normally a shift, especially the first one, would take hours sometimes even the whole of the night. Since Klaus was a vampire though, and everything about him was somehow more, he shifted in minutes. However there was a price for this speed, while his shift its self was shorter he still felt all the pain associated with a long drawn out change, he just felt it all in those few minutes instead of stretched out over the hours.

“When his change completed as you would have guessed, the pain left him disoriented and coupled with his vampiric blood lust he was nearly feral. He hunted the entire night killing anything that got in his path, until close to dawn he began to feel the effects of it all. Both transitions and the massacre he'd created. Finally calming he went the only place he could ever think to go."

"To Caroline."

"Yes, Elena, to Caroline..."

_Caroline wasn't sure what had happened the night before, one moment she and Nik were talking and the next he was just gone like he hadn't been there at all. She had wanted to follow him and make sure he was alright but all it took was the howl of a single wolf to make her stay inside. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she ran out foolishly and got herself killed, knowing that no matter what was happening he would eventually make his way back to her she sat on her bed facing the door and waited._

_Hearing a strange scratching at her door she swung it open and came face to face with a wolf. Throwing herself backwards she landed hard on her backside, terrified of what it would do, when it only whimpered in sympathy she looked closer at her new house guest. It was waiting outside just beyond the doorway as if waiting to be invited in. Inching steadily closer she looked more carefully at it, wondering if she knew him or her in their human form. It wasn't until she finally looked right into its eyes that she knew who had come to see her._

_"Nik?"_

_Another whimper in response, she watched as his head bowed almost as though he were ashamed for her to see him this way._

_"Oh my love what has happened to you? Come inside, we do not want anyone seeing you and getting it into their heads that you need killing."_

_Like that was what he'd been waiting for the whole time, he quickly darted over the threshold and into her arms._

_"Easy now, do not worry, this will not change a thing. You and I are forever, no matter what."_

_She was so busy trying to reassure her love that she didn't notice the shadow coming from her still open door._

_"Oh, I beg to differ you harlot."_

_Her head whipped around to the doorway at the sound of that voice and so did Nik's._

_"Esther?"_

"Why was she there? What did she want?" Bonnie was so confused. The more she learned the harder it got to see the originals, and especially Caroline, as the villains she'd always seem them as before.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there. All your questions will be answered soon enough. Esther had used her magic to track Klaus after she completed her spell sending Mikael into transition as well, she wanted to know where he was so that once her husband was reborn he could easily rid them both of Klaus. When she found him at Caroline's she found him as a wolf and her worst fears were made reality, her adultery was standing before her plain to any who saw it for what it was..."

_Caroline didn't know what to do, she had never officially met Nik's mother but she knew who she was none the less, and what she was capable of as well. She didn't want anything to happen to Nik, but she also did not see anyway for her to protect him from such a powerful witch._

_"We will leave, no one ever need know of his transition, we will both just fade from memory." She knew her pleas would likely go unanswered but she had to try something, anything._

_"Oh, how adorable, but I don't think so. The plan had been for Mikael to kill the vermin, but I can't let him see the weakling like this, he would know the truth. No, I will kill him, and tell the others that he did not survive the night, the wolves were roaming after all and we all know how deadly they are. After what he allowed to happen to Henrik it would almost be poetic justice that they believe the same fate befell him as well."_

_What was she talking about? She wouldn't truly kill her own son would she? Looking into her eyes she knew it was true, she was insane._

_"You cannot do this, I - I won't let you!" Looking around frantically she searched for something, anything that would save her beloved from the fate his mother intended for him. Finding nothing she stepped forward intending to fight to her last breathe for her future happiness even if it was futile effort she had to try._

_When Esther raised her hand preparing to toss her effortlessly aside with her magic, she tried not to flinch. Closing her eyes she prepared for the impact only to feel a rush of air at her side and heard the woman's scream of agony moments later. Opening her eyes she found Klaus pinning his mother to the floor his teeth buried in her shoulder holding her in place._

_"Klaus!" She didn't know what to do now, Esther was attacking them, but she couldn't just let Nik kill his own mother._

_"Let her go my love, come back to me."_

_The wolf released his hold and looked back at her for a long moment, almost as though he were assessing her in some way. She watched as he slowly circled her before stopping just behind her, when she heard the telltale breaking of bone she knew what he was doing, he was shifting back, he was coming back to her as she had asked._

_By the time he had fully changed Esther was back on her feet, bleeding badly, but otherwise unharmed. Her hatred now directed at them both as she spewed her venom at them._

_"How dare you attack me! Me! After I have given you so much, certainly more than you deserve! I should have killed you at birth when I first realized what you were, it would have saved me all the grief that your life has caused me."_

_"How dare you! You hateful bitch, you have no right to talk to him like that. You are not welcome here, I demand you leave my home at once!"_

_"Oh, you demand do you? Congratulations Niklaus, you found a woman with spine, at least one of you will have a backbone. Come along son of mine, come back to the village and face Mikael like a man, end your life in the way you never lived it."_

_Caroline was livid, how dare she say such things._

_"Of course mother, then I can regale my siblings with the tale of my oh so adventurous night away. Being a werewolf is just so freeing I could never keep such an experience from them, could I? What kind of brother would I be if I did?"_

_She never took her eyes off of Esther, knowing that threatening to out her secret would be enough to send her into a rage. When her eyes began to darken with power she knew this would not end well for any of them, but when her hand rose to direct that power, it was not at Nik that she aimed but at her._

_Turning to face her love she saw the dawning realization on his face as he understood what his mother was planning to do, he ran towards her intending to push her out of the way, but he was too far away. She felt Esthers power slam into her body full force, knocking her from her feet, she landed in a heap against the far wall._

_Desperately gasping for air for a moment it felt like her entire body was on fire. Hearing a strange wet sound she looked up to find her beloved Nik his face morphed by his rage into that of a demon, his eyes brightest gold of the wolf, but the veins below them black as pitch, and his mouth filled with fangs. That did not hold her gaze for long for what she realized next was far worse, for his hand was in his mothers chest, grasping her beating heart._

_"What have you done to her mother? You will answer me or I will rip your heart out!" As a witch she had the power to heal the wound he made as long as he pulled his hand back and left her heart intact. He was giving her the option to live._

_"She loved your wolf so much - I figured - she should have one of her own. For only a monster can truly love a monster. Every full moon she will shift, in agony, this is my gift to you both." The word gift was filled with such vile hatred it was clear what she meant, curse._

_"Ahhhh!" Pulling his hand free Nik held her heart up before her eyes, it still beat within his grasp, and it was the last thing she saw in this world._

_Feeling her bones begin to break she screamed in agony, the moon was fading as the night slowly gave way to day, but it was still high enough to trigger her change._

"What happened next? Is Caroline a werewolf? I thought she was a vampire though, is she a hybrid?"

"I didn't think you could make someone without the gene a werewolf."

"We, will get to that, if you would stop interrupting me we would get there a great deal faster."

"Yeah, but before then, I suggest that we all get something to eat and stretch our legs a bit. Come on Stef, you and I need to take a short walk." Damon interrupted everyone, taking command of the situation by simply walking out and expecting everyone to just fall in line.

Stefan wasn't sure if this was really the best way to go, but as far as he could see, it was the only way they had. Stalking slowly behind his brother they both made their way down to the tomb beneath the church, Katherine's supposed resting place, the tomb that no vampire could leave once they'd entered. When the opening came into view he hesitated for a moment before stepping up beside his brother to project a unified front to their prisoner, even if it was a lie. They were at odds about this, like they were about everything else in their long lives.

"Caroline?"

He didn't think his sing song patronizing tone would help matters, but they couldn't exactly argue about it in front of her, not if they wanted to keep the illusion of control.

"What do you want now Salvatore?" The girls voice was calm and even almost like she was visiting them in their home instead of being locked away in the dark. Yet, he still couldn't see her face, while her voice carried out to them she kept herself hidden in shadow. The whole time there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind, something wasn't right.

"We have a question for you." His brother was being as arrogant as ever, just assuming that she would answer them because of where she was now. For some reason he didn't think she would help them no matter what they did.

"Oh well then, let me just cooperate and tell you everything you want to know because you're all big and scary and I'm the frightened little girl. Please." He was momentarily taken back by how much she sounded like some of Bonnie and Elena's cheerleader friends that for a moment he had to remind himself of just who it was they were talking to. She may seem like a normal teenage girl but she was in reality over a thousand years old and very deadly.

"You'll tell us or we'll be forced to make you." Wait, what? That hadn't been the plan, they were supposed to come down here and be nice to her, more flies with honey and all that.

"Come on in here and say that to my face." Her voice held the smirk that the darkness hid. She knew they couldn't enter any more than she could leave. _Is Caroline a werewolf? I thought she was a vampire though, is she a hybrid?_ Elena's question floated through his mind again, vampires couldn't leave the tomb once they crossed the threshold, but was Caroline really a vampire?

"I'd rather just stay out here and have my witch do the talking for me. Bonnie."

While Bonnie gave Caroline aneurysm after aneurysm as his brother shouted their question at her over and over again he wondered if they truly had the upper hand or if that was as much an illusion as their show of unity to her.

"Where does Klaus have Matt Donovan?"

If they had clued him in on the plan before they came he would have told them just how much of a bad idea he thought it was, taking her was one thing but hurting her was a sure way to get Klaus very angry. Hadn't they been listening to Rose's story at all? Caroline loved Klaus, and Klaus loved Caroline, and when you loved someone there wasn't much you wouldn't do for them, case in point look at what they were all willing to do for their love of Elena.

So preoccupied with their task to save Matt none of them noticed the man in the suit standing just behind them all fighting to keep his fury under control.


	7. Re-Negotiation

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"Where is Matt Donovan?"

Elijah had, had enough of this little display. He had managed to convince Klaus to allow him to follow these _children_ to his beloved, but this torture would not go unanswered no one harmed his family and got away with it. 

No one. 

Caroline was as much a part of his family as Rebekah or Kol and he would not allow this any longer. The fact that the witches little spell would pass over Caroline leaving no harm did not excuse them this trespass.

"You could always ask nicely, maybe that would get you the answers you seek." The fact that his voice startled all three of them improved his mood slightly, but not nearly enough to help them.

"Caroline darling are you alright in there? I came as quickly as I could."

"I'm fine Elijah, thank you for coming at all, I have missed you so."

"And I you darling. Would you care to step out and join us or are you restrained in some way?"

The two young vampires and their little witch all remained silent during his conversation with Caroline but his invitation for her to join them all seemed to spur them back into the land of the animated. Their heads whipped around to stare at the entrance to the cavern where his beloved sister stood as though the thought of her stepping over the threshold had never occurred to them. Oh, when would people learn to stop underestimating Caroline? As though some stupid barrier spell could truly hold her.

When Caroline stepped out of the tomb Stefan knew they were done for, not only had they tortured her but they had been caught. Even if they wanted to fight Caroline was obviously stronger than any of them had guessed and she had called the stranger Elijah, as in Klaus's brother an original. 

Glancing over at his brother and Bonnie he didn't know what to expect but he knew it would be painful and long lasting. He prayed their tempers would get the better of them and the two would simply kill them now, but he doubted it. No he was fairly certain they were all about to meet Klaus, not for the first time he wished they had simply stayed to hear the rest of the story.

Klaus paced the length of the den again and again never pausing for more than a moment. What was taking so long? Elijah had gone to fetch Caroline back to him over an hour ago, they should have been back by now. He once swore to his beloved girl that she would never be without him, but for now at least she was. It was driving him mad.

Hearing the door to the mansion open and close he rushed with all his speed towards the sound. Seeing his angel standing there a little rumpled but otherwise unharmed made his heart pause in his chest. She was still the most magnificent thing he had ever seen in all his days and she would continue to be so until the darkness of death finally took him.

"Welcome home love." with every step he took towards her the lump in his throat grew ever larger making it harder and harder to breath. He knew the pressure would not ease until he could finally touch her again.

"It's good to be back. Your brother and I brought home guests, I do believe they would do best in the red room don't you?"

Placing his hand gently against her cheek he gazed into her loving eyes and spoke the words that burned in his mind.

"Anything you want darling."

"Good, now do we need to talk about what you've done to my beautiful furniture while I was away. You know a great deal of thought goes into choosing every single thing in our home, stop breaking things."

He could not stop the smile that spread across his face, she was here safe and sound in his arms again.

Elena knew something was wrong, everyone had been gone for far too long. 

"Where could they be?"

She knew Rose was starting to get anxious about the whole thing, not that she could blame her, but if the others didn't return soon she knew Rose would blow town before they had heard the whole story. She was about to try to calm her down when her phone range, looking down she read the caller I.D. Damon, thank god.

"Damon, where are you guys? You should have been back an hour ago."

"Sorry doppelganger, it seems your friends ran into a bit of trouble while they were out of your sight."

"Klaus?" What they hell had happened? Why did Klaus have Damon's phone?

"What happened, why do you have Damon's phone?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rose inching away from her and towards the door but didn't have the heart to try and stop her.

"Well, it seems your little playmates decided it would be a good idea to capture and detain someone I hold most dear. Don't you worry your pretty little head she's been released but since my brother had to release her himself and your friends had no intention of doing it themselves I'm afraid things are about to become quite violent." Oh no, Caroline. Hadn't they been listening to Rose at all?

"What do you want?" Stupid question she already knew what he wanted, her.

"Simple really while your little friends had my darling girl they called me to negotiate for your life, this is a counter offer of sorts. You come to me, accept the inevitable, and I will release Matt Donovan."

"What about Damon, Stefan, and Bonnie?" What? Since when did Klaus have Matt? What the hell was going on?

"Don't get greedy now, the quarterback can go free since he's served his purpose but yours is just one life darling and since you've only the one life to give then you only get the one life in return. I'll give you the rest of the day to decide but come sun down I'm going to need your answer. If you agree come to my home, I'm sure darling Rose can point you in the right direction, and we'll do the 'exchange' there, if you decline I'm afraid the world will have to keep turning with one less quarterback in it."

Without another word the call disconnected leaving her standing frozen in the center of the boarding house listening to the deafening dial tone.

"Elena?"

"I have to go."

"Elena wait, you gave you til sundown you still have several hours, there's more you should know. Please."

"Fine, but talk fast."


	8. Katerina

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"Alright so now you know most of Klaus and Caroline's beginnings. I'm sure you're wondering exactly what happened to Klaus and Caroline after he ripped his mothers heart out. Unfortunately that is exactly the part of the story that's a little hazy, there are so many different versions it's impossible to know exactly what did happen. All anyone knows for certain is that Klaus found a way to grant Caroline immortality along side him. Weather that was done by turning her into a vampire, or a hybrid, or some other way no one really knows for sure."

"Well then what do people know?" People had to know something right, the originals were so old some of their story had to be out there, didn't it.

"That has any significance to what you're doing now? Nothing until the late 1400's when Klaus met the woman that you know as Katherine Pierce. The first time that he tried to break his curse. In 1491 a young Bulgarian girl gave birth to a child out of wedlock and was banished from her home to England. Katerina Petrova was always a survivor at her core, so that's what she did, she adapted to her new surroundings and she survived. She lost her accent, she got herself some expensive clothes and she embarked into London high society which is where she met Trevor and through him Klaus. I still remember when Trevor told me about her."

_"I am telling you Rose she is the spitting image of the girl Tatia. She is the doppelgänger that they seek."_

_"If you are wrong about this Trevor it will cost us both our heads."_

_"I am not wrong, I swear it, it is she." She hoped he was right because it was far too late now to change their course they had already requested an audience with Elijah._

_"Ah, Rose and Trevor, do I have that right?"_

_"Yes, Lord Elijah." Dropping into a perfect curtsey she did her best to avoid his gaze, she did not want to do anything that would cause insult to him._

_"Why have you come to us? You told our maid that you have a matter of great importance to us that you wished to discuss. What matter could that possibly be?" She knew that he was intentionally trying to scare them both, to make it clear who was the greatest threat in the room, but knowing it to be true didn't stop it from working._

_She was terrified, terrified of the news they brought not being well received, terrified of Elijah himself, and most of all terrified that Trevor was mistaken. If they brought word of the doppelgänger and that information was proved false... she tried her best not to shudder, it didn't bare thinking about._

_"We bring you news of the doppelgänger you seek. We believe we have found her my lord."_

_"Where?" His tone was clipped, harsh even._

_"Here in London my lord. She is a native of Bulgaria, just turned seventeen, she only just arrived to London a few months past." She silently willed Trevor to stick to the facts. When dealing with the originals it was best to never try their patience._

_"Are you certain?"_

_"Yes, my lord. I am." She hoped not for the first time that his conviction was not misplaced._

_"What is the girls station in life?" Whirling towards the sound of the new voice she found Klaus standing in the doorway looking delighted. She only prayed that he stayed that way, at least while she and Trevor were here with him._

_"Low born I believe, but easily passing for better."_

_"Excellent. Elijah I will have a party to celebrate my birth in one week, please tell Rebekah to plan it however she desires and I'm sure Caroline will be happy to lend a hand as well. Which ever of you two is closest to this doppelgänger will invite her as your guest."_

_Knowing they were dismissed she and Trevor bowed to them both and began to leave._

_"One more thing. The girl, what is her name?"_

_"Katerina my Lord, Katerina Petrova."_

"So you and Trevor have a habit of taking Petrova doppelgängers to Elijah then?" Elena knew she wasn't being very fair, Elijah had killed Trevor after all.

"Yes, and each time we did it was for simple self preservation."

"What do you mean?" She understood about why they took her to Elijah. They were on the run and her life was pretty much the only thing in existence that could have saved either of them, but Katherine?

"The Originals had been looking for the doppelgänger for five hundred years. Every vampire ever made was told of her existence and about how much the Originals, and Klaus especially, wanted her. If we hadn't told them about Katherine and then someone else had and it came out that we'd known about her earlier, that they could have found her earlier, running wouldn't have even been an option then."

"Okay, so I can sorta see where you were coming from there. You were just doing what everyone does, surviving." They only did what she was trying to do now. What did that make them?

"Exactly." Rose seemed almost relieved that she understood her motives. It happened five hundred years ago, to Katherine, it wasn't like she was going to condemn her for it.

"So what happened next?"

"The party."

_"Caroline sweetheart, you're being unreasonable." He knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment it came out of his mouth, and he was right._

_"Unreasonable? Unreasonable! How dare you accuse me of being unreasonable. This woman-"_

_"Katerina." By this point he just thought she looked so adorable when she was worked up he just wanted to kiss her. He was so distracted by his thoughts of her lush kisses that he didn't immediately realize what had just come tumbling out of his mouth._

_"Uhhh, do not say her name to me! This woman is coming to your party and instead of doing what you would normally do and just compelling her to stay here or just forcing her to, you think that the only way to get her to cooperate until the full moon is for you to make eyes at her."_

_"Now Caroline it is not like that. You know I love you more than anything else in this world. I have no feelings for this girl what so ever. What I do have is a curse that needs to be broken as soon as possible, and unfortunately she is essential to that process. We need her."_

_"I am not arguing that fact that we need her, I'm arguing about the fact that you are going to be doting on her all night at a party that I helped to plan. You do know what that is right? You are relegating me to the position of a servant while you swan off to be with Tatias twin!"_

_Without another word she stormed out of the room in search of Rebekah. She knew at least she would see her side in this, she should have known that Nik would never see sense, he was a man after all._

_Klaus watched her go and did not even try to hold back his groan of frustration. Women were so infuriating._

_"She does have a point brother."_

_"No she does not, and your saying she does will do nothing more than make her even more stubborn so please refrain from doing so within her hearing." Klaus knew exactly what he was doing. He could not trust the task of keeping tabs on the doppelgänger to another, it was too important, to vital to his future. Their future._

_"I only find it strange that it shall be you who entertains the girl when you have not only countless minions who would gladly undertake such a task for you as well as two unattached brothers who would also be more than willing to keep her distracted until the full moon rises."_

_"As though I would ever trust such a task to any other. No, I shall do this myself and then I shall spend the next five hundred years making it up to Caroline. After the curse it broken."_

_"Very well brother. It is your choice."_

"Why didn't Klaus trust one of his brothers to keep an eye on Katherine? I mean I sort of understand not trusting one of his 'minions' but his brothers were his family." Wouldn't his family have helped him break the curse. Especially if it was on Caroline like they thought.

"True, but Klaus knew his brothers well. Kol was a party boy and would have likely become distracted by a girl he could keep. Not to mention Kol had never had an interest in Tatia and as someone who looks exactly like her it wasn't likely that Katherine would hold his interest either. Elijah, however, had the exact opposite problem. Remember he had been in love with Tatia, and Klaus feared he would fall for Katerina as well. A fear that was well founded apparently since that is exactly what happened."

"What? I thought Trevor-"

"Trevor was not alone in his affections for Katerina Petrova. Just as she once had a Salvatore on either side of her it was nearly unheard of even back then for Katherine to have only one admirer vying for her attentions." So Katerina was always Katherine at heart. She supposed that made sense.

"So Klaus was right not to trust anyone else with Katherine."

"Yes, not that it did him any good. She still got away after all."

"True. So what happened next?"

"Trevor and I brought Katerina to Klaus."

_"This Lord whose party it is."_

_"Lord Niklaus." Rose supplied the name hoping that the little tart would finally remember it. The last thing they all needed was for her to cause offense to Klaus publicly. She did not know what would happen then. Being the doppelgänger may grant her some leeway, but not much. Especially not with Caroline._

_"Yes, what is he like? I feel that I should at least know something about him if I am to be a guest in his home." Oh, she would be so much more than that._

_"Well, he is how all Lords of means are in London. Larger than life. I would not wish to color your perception of him however with tales of my own experiences with him. I shall leave you to make your own conclusions as to his character after you meet him properly." She did not know what all Klaus wanted the girl to know, so she remained as vague as possible._

_"Thank you Rose, I do not know what I would have done here in London without you and dear Trevor here to help me along." She sounded so sincere, but Rose had been around for centuries now and she could see the artifice of it all. There was not a drop of sincerity in her words to be found. Trevor however, was eating it all up like a besotted fool, she would have to speak to him about that. It would not do for him to become too attached to the girl. She was not long for this world after all._

_"The pleasure was ours, you are delightful company. Speaking of company here comes the Lord Elijah now, he is the Lord Niklaus's brother perhaps he can enlighten us to the where abouts of the host?"_

_"Come now you know my brother Rose, he is always delayed in his arrival anywhere." Usually by design, like now. A delayed entrance was a grand entrance after all._

_"Even to his own party?"_

_"Especially to his own parties. Who might this lovely young lady be?"_

_"Forgive me, you must think me poorly mannered not to have introduced you right off. Lord Elijah may I introduce to you Miss Katerina Petrova. Katerina the Lord Elijah."_

_"Pleased to meet you." She watched the girl drop into a half curtsey, her hand firmly held in his. Wonderful._

_"The pleasure is all mine my lord, as it should be." The little hussy was making eyes at him. More disturbing than that however was the fact that he was looking right back at her. She could not wait to be rid of her. The faster she was pried off of Trevor the better off they both would be. Looking across the room she saw the perfect distraction._

_"Oh look, there is the Lord Niklaus now."_

_Klaus was furious, though he knew none of his anger showed on his face. Caroline had gone from impossible to vengeful. She had apparently decided that if he was allowed to engage with another woman at this party than she was equally free to make a new friend of her own. They had argued long and loud about it, but her position would not be changed. If he went through with his plans for the doppelgänger than she would warm a different bed tonight._

_In the five hundred years that they had been together thus far, she had never slept apart from him. How could she even contemplate such a thing now, NOW that they were so close to being free from this curse. He understood that she felt insecure about the doppelgänger and her place in his affections but it was simply nonsense, and he had told her so._

_But did she listen?_

_No! Of course she didn't and his darling sister was no help at all. She just kept repeating that stupid phrase about how what was good for the goose was good for the gander. He was so close to simply daggering his sister for her interference and placing her along side Finn that he had to order her from his sight before he gave into the impulse._

_She would not truly go to another, no, not his Caroline. Would she? In all their five hundred years together he had never had cause to doubt her, until now. In this moment he was less than secure in his love for her or hers for him._

_Then it finally struck him, of course, she was not planning to be with another she only wanted him to believe she would so that he could feel what this Katerina's presence was forcing her to feel._

_In all their years together both their human lives and their new ones now, Tatia had been the only one whom she had feared would ever take him from her. It hadn't been true of course, not even she could have pried him from his beloveds side, but the fear had been very real._

_Now, another was entering their lives who was the spitting image of the woman from so long ago and it was dragging up all those old feelings. While he saw this Katerina Petrova as nothing more than a tool to be used and then discarded Caroline saw her as Tatia reborn, and here he went straight to her side._

_Could he abandon his plans for her, did he dare? While what Elijah had said before was true, there were others he could task with this, he still did not trust any but himself to ensure that the sacrifice came to pass as he needed it to._

_As they needed it to._

_She would just have to get over it and understand that this was not personal. It was survival. With every step he took though, towards the doppelgänger and away from Caroline, he felt more and more undecided. What the bloody hell did she expect him to do? He could not trust anyone else with this. Could he?_

_No! No he could not. Within a week the sacrafice would be preformed, this nightmare would be behind them, and they would move on._

_"Ah, Niklaus let me introduce you to this lovely creature. This is Katerina Petrova."_

"So did Caroline sleep with someone else?" She couldn't believe that was what she wanted to know about most, but come on. She already knew that Katherine escaped, she even knew how she escaped, this was new.

"Well, yes and no." What the hell kind of answer was that?

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I wasn't there for this next part personally, Trevor and I had left hours before to avoid being caught out in morning light, but I heard about it later."

"What happened?"

"Well..."

_Klaus was furious, he could not find Caroline anywhere. She was not waiting for him in their bed as she normally was, and he had looked everywhere for her. She had better not be with another man, if she was, he did not know what he would do.  
His fury was already being equal parts abated and fueled by the thought that she might have sought out another. Jerking open the doors to the music room he finally found her, and she was not alone. _

_Caroline was laying draped across the small sofa where the guests would sit to listen to someone else perform wearing nothing at all and there was a small red haired woman kneeling between her legs seemingly taking great delight in getting his darling girl off._

_"Hello, Nik, care to join us?"_

_"I thought-"_

_"I know what you thought. To tell you the truth I was close to doing exactly what you are thinking about I had even started to try and choose a man, but they were all wrong for one reason or another. Then I realized why. They were not you Nik, I never want any man but you."_

_"I love you, my siren of the falls."_

_"And I love you, my darling wolf."_

"Of course the girl did not survive her time with them, but it is a story that is still told to this day five hundred years later. Caroline couldn't bring herself to step out on him, even in anger."

"Is that it is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Well you already know the rest of this one. Katerina found out about the sacrifice, Trevor helped her to escape, she turned herself and fled back to Bulgaria while Trevor and I ran to Africa."

"Yeah and when she finally got home Katherine found that Klaus had beaten her there and killed her entire family. I know this already."

"Then there is really only one more story to tell."

"What?"

"What happened to Caroline in the 1920's, in Chicago, though I am surprised that Stefan never told you about it when you found out that they were coming here."

"What?" Stefan knew Klaus?

Stefan slowly came back to consciousness only to find himself tied to a chair in the center of a room thats walls were coated with blood so thick it almost looked like paint. Turning his head slightly in either direction he found Bonnie, Damon, and Matt all hanging in one of the corners of the room, and Matt was looking a little worse for wear. 

Hearing the door in front of him open he turned to get his first real look at Klaus.

"Oh Caroline darling look who it is. Hello again, Ripper."

What?


	9. Witches Schemes and Sisters Folly

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"Stefan didn't doesn't know Klaus and Caroline." He didn't. Did he?

He'd seemed as surprised as the rest of them when they'd first found out about them. Or was that all just an act so that he wouldn't have to explain how he already knew them?

"Maybe not anymore but he was definitely friends with both them and Rebekah back then. Rumor was that he and Rebekah were together, and that they had the most gruesome double dates with Klaus and Caroline. Apparently they met in Chicago and that's also where everything went to hell."

"What happened?" She'd deal with Stefan keeping secrets from her later. Right now she needed to know why Rose was so freaked out about what happened back then.

"Well, the version I always heard was...."

_"Ah Ripper, entertaining my darling sister again I see." Klaus wasn't sure if he approved of Rebekah spending so much time with this one yet. Every time she got her heart set on someone it always ended in tragedy, tears, and bloodshed. He did not want to see that ending for his newest friend._

_"Where else would I be Klaus, with Rebekah's company as an option all else pales in comparison."_

_"Well put, my friend." He would give him this much however, he did know how to turn a phrase fit to turn his darling sisters head._

_"It is only the truth."_

_"As it should be. Come along now Caroline is waiting for us." Turning on his heels he quickly made his way through the crowded club. It was a Friday night and it seemed like the entire city of Chicago had decided to turn up for a night of relaxation and booze._

_His darling girl had gotten it in her head that this Stefan Salvatore was the perfect vampire for Rebekah and she was determined to help them stay together. He would never deny his better half anything, so here he was going on what she teasingly dubbed double dates with his little sister and her newest beau._

_As he approached their table he caught sight of Caroline in her new dress, that was in the new style, leaving little to the imagination. He still could not decide if he loved it or hated it. While it gave him an enticing view of her lush body which he loved, it gave everyone else with eyes the same view which he loathed._

_"Darling, look who I found. Turns out they were just swallowed up by the crush, no need to fret at all."_

_"Yes, because I was the one who was concerned."_

_"It's good you admit it sweetheart."_

_As expected she reached over and gave him a light shove for his audacity which he quickly turned to his advantage and by the time their playful struggle was over she was sitting on his lap laughing._

_"So Rebekah, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" Klaus knew Caroline was hoping for something romantic and awe inspiring, unfortunately he was going to have to disappoint her with that._

_"Actually, Stefan and Rebekah will be keeping you company love while Elijah and I take care of that little problem I was telling you about."_

_"I don't need a watcher Nik, they can enjoy their night together." He loved the way she would scrunch up her nose when she was upset. It always made her look less intimidating and more like an angry bunny._

_"I disagree love, you're not as strong as Bekah is, she will keep you safe while I can not be at your side. Please just humor me in this, I need to know you're save while I am away. You don't want me distracted now do you?" He knew it was a low blow, and really only had a fifty-fifty shot of working, but he needed her to do this for him. Besides all is fair in love and war is it not._

_"Of course not, not that it would change anything if you were, but I will humor you in this just this once. However, I expect a shopping expedition for my troubles." That's his girl, she would give in when needed, but never without a price._

_"Of course darling, whatever you want. Now that all that is settled, I must be off I'm meeting Elijah before hand and you know how he is about punctuality."_

_"Go on then, we will entertain ourselves, won't we Bekah?" She looked so fierce and determined, like she was going to have fun weather she wanted to or not._

_"I am sure we can think of something to do while he's away. We'll see you soon Nik."_

_"See you as soon as it's over, and remember you're not to leave this club for any reason. Understand?" He knew he had already told them this a thousand times before that night, but he always felt this way when he was forced to leave Carolines side. Like she would be gone when he got back, like he would never see her again. For all her strength she was weaker than they were, more easily hurt or killed. He needed her to be safe._

_"Yes, Nik, now go."_

_Leaning down he kissed his lady love one last time before he sped off to meet his brother. As long as everyone followed the rules everything would be perfectly fine._

"I have a feeling that they didn't follow the rules." Not, that she really blamed them, she knew how stifling restrictive rules meant to keep you safe could be.

"No they didn't, and like he thought, like he feared when he returned Caroline was gone. She had been taken."

"Why? By who?" What happened to them? That was what she really wanted to know but she didn't dare ask it yet. She would find out soon enough she knew, and she had a feeling even that would be too soon.

"The meeting that Klaus and Elijah had gone to was with a local coven of witches. They wanted the Originals to leave Chicago, they thought that their presence was responsible for most of the horrible deaths that kept happening in the area at the time. What Klaus and Elijah didn't know was that the witches had a back up plan, much like the one you and your friends had. They knew that talking to Klaus wouldn't work, that he was far too stubborn for their words alone to reach him, so they decided that they needed some leverage."

"Caroline."

"Caroline. The witches had gone to a group of men, brothers, whose sister had been killed by a vampire and told them that Klaus and Caroline were responsible. While the witches demanded a meeting to separate them and distract Klaus the men went to the club and took Caroline."

"Had Klaus and Caroline killed their sister?" Did they deserve what she was sure the men had done. Had she deserved it.

"No, Stefan and Rebekah had." What!

Klaus paced the room back and forth as he recounted the entire tale of their time together in Chicago. He'd long since sent Caroline upstairs she had lived through it once he didn't see the need for her to have to hear it rehashed now. 

He knew that Stefan didn't remember any of this, but that only made it all so much more satisfying. He could have just as easily compelled him to remember but the look on his face as he described to him a part of his life that he did not recall was far too entertaining. Not to mention their enraptured audience, they were all wondering if it was all true, while at the same time deep down they knew that it was.

"There I was, my dear brother at my side, walking into a witch trap. Nothing new for us mind you, but irritating none the less. We walked into the warehouse where the meeting was scheduled to take place and once we stepped past a specific point in the room we were paralyzed by magic. A spell like that is only temporary mind you, it does wear off fairly quickly, lasting only an hour at most, so we weren't worried. We thought that perhaps it was just a safety precaution on the part of the witches. Something to ensure that we would listen to them, and listen to them we did."

_"Ah, so you decided to accept our invitation." They were surrounded by witches, as soon as the restraining spell had taken hold they had melted out of the shadows. A bit dramatic really._

_"So we did, the bondage portion of the evening however was not mentioned when the invitation was issued. Rude of you." Klaus knew he had nothing to fear from these women, they barely had the power between them to hold him and his brother briefly, they most definitely did not have the ability to do anything of significance._

_A woman stepped forward, obviously the leader, though she did seem a bit young for the role. She was in her early twenties, and very much a woman of her time, she was brash and arrogant thinking she had the upper hand and that nothing could ever change that. He would be more than happy to correct that delusional thinking if the occasion called for it, and something told him just from the sight of her that, that would become very necessary very soon._

_"Oh, that is nothing more than some added security for us. We are well aware of your reputations. You can not blame us for being overly cautious with this meeting."_

_"I can actually, but that is neither here nor there. Can we just get on with this ridiculous meeting please. I do have a life to be getting back to."_

_"Yes of course, I'll get straight to the point, we want you and your murderous family to leave Chicago."_

_The fact that the ballsy bitch could even make that demand with a straight face amused him. Looking over at his brother he saw the signs of his own mirth shining through his usual stoic exterior. How dare these little upstarts think to demand anything of them._

_"Me and my murderous family, huh. Now why would you think even for a moment we would comply with such a request?"_

_"It is no request."_

_"Yes, I realized that from your very disrespectful tone when you demanded that I leave a place I have no intention of moving on from just yet. I am curious however, as to why it is that you want us gone so badly."_

_"You, your brother here, your stupid cow of a sister and her newest conquest, and your whore have been bathing our city in blood since your arrival and you have the nerve to ask us why we want you gone. Does your arrogance know no limits?"_

_Klaus could feel his fury rising within him at they way they spoke of those he cared most for. How dare they say such things! At the same time that his rage was taking over he recognized one flaw in their logic that he still wanted to understand._

_"What in the world made you think for even a moment that we would comply? You are nothing to us, insignificant and without any true power, how was it you thought you could force your will upon us all?"_

_"Easily now that we have your whore at our mercy."_

_They had taken Caroline. His vision began to fill with nothing but red. Red, the color of rage and blood, was all he saw for the next twenty minutes. When he could finally see the world around him again every witch that had surrounded them was lying on the ground in pieces and his brother was standing off to the side out of the line of carnage still as a statue waiting for his senses to return and the danger to pass._

_"Caroline?"_

_"We will find her brother, I swear it to you."_

"So the witches took Caroline and he ripped them apart for it. Is that the lesson I should be learning here?" Elena knew it was a good lesson, one that she would take to heart but at the same time it wasn't something she hadn't already worked out on her own from all the hints that Rose had been dropping all along.

"No, the witches were killed in the heat of the moment it was what happened after that kept everyone talking about it for the past ninety years. Klaus killing someone, or even entire groups of people, while in a rage is nothing new. Someone taking Caroline had never happened before and what he did about it was equally new."

"What did he do?" What could be worse than tearing an entire coven of witches apart?

"After finding out about Caroline's planned abduction Elijah and Klaus raced back to the club where Klaus had left her with Rebekah and Stefan. When they got there they didn't find any of them, at least not at first."

_"They are not here brother. Where would the witches have taken them?"_

_"Maybe we would be better equipped to answer that had any of the before mentioned witches stayed in one piece."_

_"Yes, yes, I know I should never have acted on instinct alone. Now will you help me rectify this brother. They took her."_

_"I know brother, and our sister as well, I shall do everything in my power to-"_

_"Nik, Elijah, what are you two doing back so soon. We did not expect you for another hour at least."_

_"Bekah?" Good, they had gotten there in time, she would be fine._

_"Bekah, where is Caroline I do not see her with you."_

_"Oh, she's right over-" His sister had stopped speaking as she gestured towards their now empty booth."_

_"She's where sister?" He was beginning to lose his temper again. He had left Caroline with Rebekah for her safety and now it seemed that his sister had left her alone, and now she had been taken._

_"Nik, she was right there-" His sister sounded so confused, almost like she couldn't understand why Caroline wasn't where she had last seen her._

_"When? How long ago did you actually see her. The witches set a trap, they meant to take Caroline all along. If they have taken her recently then there is a chance we will still be able to find them before they hold up somewhere."_

_"Well, you see Nik, Stefan and I..."_

_He didn't need to hear anymore her guilty look and mention of Stefan had said more than enough. She and her newest fellow had snuck off upstairs for a tryst leaving Caroline on her own, they left her to be taken._

_"Niklaus keep calm, your anger while justified will do nothing to help you save Caroline. You need to keep a level head for the moment." He heard his brother voice, he understood his words, but at the same time what he said held no meaning for him._

_"What I need is a sister who isn't such a whore. I asked one thing of you, ONE THING! I asked you to keep Caroline safe when I am not at her side. In the last nine hundred years, tell me sister, how often have you had to do this for me? Hmmm? How often?"_

_"Nik please, I-" NO! Now was not the time for pleading. He would not listen to it, not from her, not now, not while Caroline was still so far from his side._

_"The answer you are looking for is three. Three times in nine hundred years, that doesn't seem unreasonable does it? Asking you to do so little for me, while I in turn give you everything. While Caroline goes on shopping trips with you, and talks with you about all the boys you fancy, while she helps you through each and every heartbreak that you've suffered. She has been there for you every day of your miserable little existence and how do you repay her? By leaving her alone to be taken and harmed while you wile away the time rutting with your newest boy toy."_

_"Niklaus I think-" He did not wait for his brother to finish with his words of reason. Didn't he understand that the world held no reason without her._

_Taking a step forward he back handed his sister across the room of the crowded club, the impact of her body against the far wall causing the music to stop and every eye in the place to turn his way. That was fine, he loved an audience. If the witches of Chicago thought he had bathed their city in blood before, he was certain they would not know what to think in the days to come. Turning towards Stefan he looked the younger man right in the eyes and spoke as he felt his own beginning to dilate with power._

_"Stefan, don't worry I don't find you as culpable as my dear sister in this mess. In fact I have forgiven you and intend to set you free, but what kind of friend would I be to let you go without a parting gift. You will spend the next three days with no companion by your side but your thirst. You will not leave Chicago for those days, but you will hunt your fill, after the sun sets on the third day you will be free to leave the city limits but you will not remember me, or my family, unless I allow you to. Now, tell me you understand."_

_"I understand." Even as he spoke dark veins were appearing beneath his eyes. In that moment he was a ripper in full form._

_"Good boy, bon apatite."_

_Turning on his heels he left the club with his siblings at his back and the sound of screams echoing in the night as his compulsion fully took hold of Stefans mind._

_"Nik please you can't-"_

_"I can, I have, it's done. Now for you dear sister, I think you've become far to spoiled spending so much time with me, your doting brother. I think it's time you spent more time with the rest of our family."_

_He saw the surprise fill her eyes when she felt the dagger pierce her heart, before it quickly began to drain from her like everything else. " Say hello to Finn and Kol for me would you."_

"Klaus killed his own sister?" She knew the daggers didn't really kill them, but it was close enough, they were dead to the world after all.

"No, not killed, contained. He boxed her up into a coffin along side their other brothers Finn and Kol, as far as I know he still hasn't let any of them out yet."

"What? It's been nearly a hundred years." That was one hell of a long time out.

"Even longer for Kol and Finn. It's been nearly a hundred years since Rebekah was daggered, the others have been contained for centuries."

"What about Elijah?" That was the part that didn't seem to fit. 

"What about him?"

"Why did he let Klaus do it, and why hasn't he let them out himself?" He was their older brother after all, wouldn't he have wanted to free them.

"Well, as far as I know, Elijah agreed with Klaus about daggering Rebekah. I doubt he realized just how long he would keep her locked away, but she had betrayed them and she needed to be punished. As for why he doesn't just let them out, rumor is that Klaus plans on letting them all out once the curse it broken. My guess would be he's just waiting it out, not to mention that it's been said that Klaus hid the coffins decades ago and even Elijah doesn't know where to find them."

"So Klaus is willing to tear his own family apart for Caroline?"

"Your missing the point. Caroline is his family."

Yeah, and you do anything for family.

"So what happened next?" What did Klaus do next?

"Klaus went to find his love, with Elijah at his side."


	10. Wrath of Love

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"Where did they find her?" Elena wasn't sure if she wanted to know the next part of the story, but she found that she was curious about it none the less.

"They searched all night and finally found her in a warehouse on the edge of town. She had been taken by four men, brothers, whose family owned the warehouse and all the land surrounding it. If they had been on the run from humans it would have been an ideal place to hide. Since they were running from Klaus it just became an isolated place to die instead."

_"You are sure she's here brother?" He could not take this much longer, one more false lead and he would burn the entire city to the ground in his rage._

_"Klaus, brother, my sources are rarely wrong as you know. If these are the men who took her then here is where they would have fled to."_

_"Very well then, let's not waste any more time standing here." Klaus made to leave, striding purposefully towards the warehouse's large doors, when Elijah grabbed his arm stopping him in his tracks._

_"Brother?" He did not have time for this._

_"These men were working with that coven who entrapped us before, would it not be wiser to look first?" Elijah was right of course, in his anger he had almost made a grievous error. It would do him no good to find Caroline only to be trapped, immobile once more, unable to aide her._

_"You are right brother, forgive me, in my haste to find her I nearly rushed forward without thought. Thank you."_

_"You go that way, I shall come around the other side, the roof has small windows for ventilation on all sides, we should be able to see everything from there."_

_The metal roof was slick from rain but with their skills they were able to transverse it easily. Looking in through the small fogged windows they both froze. One in horror, the other in rage._

Klaus stood in front of Stefan and tried to keep his voice even as he talked about everything that happened all those years ago. He had long since forgiven his dear sister, mostly due to his darling Caroline's intervention and wisdom. She had never held a grudge against either of them, it simply wasn't in her nature to blame either Stefan or Rebekah for the things that had happened to her in Chicago. He was not so forgiving. 

He would torture Stefan and his little band of friends soon enough, but first he wanted him to know, he wanted them all to know, why. He had many reasons for wanting to cause them all harm, but this one was the most grievous and they would all hear of it before they began. 

They needed to know and more importantly he needed to tell them. He hadn't realized how much rage he was feeling towards his one time friend until now, he needed to work through it. The curse would be lifted soon and his life with Caroline would start fresh, he would not bring all this hatred with him, he would release it the only way left to him to do so. Through pain.

"Do you know what I saw when I looked through that dirty little window? Hmmm? What, no guesses? Well you're no fun at all. If you're not going to play the game I suppose I'll just have to tell you what I saw happening to my darling Caroline in that grungy, little warehouse."

_Caroline had been stripped down to her underthings, he new dress lay in tatters off to the side. She was strapped down to a metal chair in the center of the room, the smoking ropes obviously drenched in vervain to keep her contained. The four men who had taken his beloved girl were all standing around her just out of reach holding weapons. Weapons that had obviously already used against her if the amount of blood already coating her flesh was any indication._

_They had tortured her._

_He would kill them all. He would bathe in their blood, laughing as they gurgled out their last pathetic breath. The only questions left to him were how to do it, and whether he would kill their families before or after he tore them limb from limb._

_Hearing one of the soon to be dead men speak up forced him to focus on his next move. Looking around he didn't see anything that would indicate that the witches had given them any aide beyond providing the distraction. Good, that would make this much easier._

_"I don't know Jeff, seems a shame to waste a pretty girl like this. Monster or not she's still mighty fine to look at. I wouldn't mind having me a go."_

_That repugnant vermin was suggesting..._

_He didn't even finish the thought before another, likely the one called Jeff stepped forward crouched down at eye level with Caroline and made him see red for the second time that night._

_"I know what you mean Hayden, I wouldn't mind a taste myself." Leaning even closer he ran his tongue up Caroline face._

_Letting out a roar of pure rage he jumped down through the window and landed in the center of them all next to Caroline._

"What did he do to them?" Elena could understand why Klaus would have been upset. If someone had done something like that to someone she had cared about she might be mad enough to kill them too.

"Well, according to what I always heard of it, at first Klaus only knocked them all out. He sent Elijah to go locate their families and bring them all back to the warehouse while he watched the men and took care of Caroline. He called one of his minions and had Caroline taken back to their home after compelling her to sleep until he returned to her. What he did after those men woke however, that is why people truly fear Klaus and revere Caroline."

Elena could hear the unsteady fear in Rose's voice and knew that even now almost a century later even thinking about what happened that night, let alone talking about it, still had the power to terrify her. She wanted to ask her to stop, to tell her that she didn't need to know, but she was going into the lions den in a few hours and she did need to know this. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and just listened as the horror of that night unfolded around her and in her own mind. She could picture it as Rose spoke the words and it was horrifying.

_Elijah watched as his brother moved over towards the men who had taken Caroline from them and he knew that he would have little to no part in what came next. They had already set the scene, now it was time for the curtain to rise._

Klaus paused for a moment drawing in a deep breath to help calm himself even though he did not truly need it. Even thinking of that night always got his blood boiling.

"When those degenerates finally woke from the little nap I forced them to take, the first sight that greeted their blurry eyes was that of their families. Wives, children, nieces, and nephews, all of them there waiting. I hadn't killed them yet because I wanted them to see their final moments and for everyone to know exactly who had caused all of it and why. 

“When the last ones broken body finally hit the dirty floor and the pleas for mercy fell silent I went to work on the men themselves. I had a different death in store for each of them. They had all earned something equally special for their crimes. I have lived a very long time and in that time I had learned my fair share of ways to kill and destroy, I used all of my knowledge for those men."

He looked around the room from Stefan, to Damon, to Bonnie, and dear Matt. All of them enraptured by the tale he told them. As well they should be, for it was of a fate they would soon share.

"First there was the vile bastard who had declared how lovely it would be to hear my darling girl beg for mercy as they each took their turn with her, only for that small kindness to be denied her. For him I decided to make him beg. I used a technique I had seen used many times before though I had never used it myself before that night, its common title is crushing, have you ever heard of it? I doubt any of you would unless you had seen it in a history book, its hay-day was a bit before even your time mister Salvatore. 

“It was used frequently in both Europe and America in its infancy to try and gain pleas or confessions whichever was required. The accused would be stretched out on a flat surface in this case I used a table, I tied his limbs to the legs to keep him from being able to squirm too much. Once he was secure, his dead loved ones within his line of sight of course, I began to pile bricks onto his body. Normally once the desired results were achieved the crushing would stop and the accused would be sentenced to whatever fate awaited him, unfortunately for Mr. Sullivan Collins, the result I wanted was to hear his pleas for mercy. The more he begged me to kill him the more bricks I laid on, until finally the weight became to great a burden and his chest collapsed putting pressure on his lungs and heart until a few minutes later he died. Suffocated.

"Next came a Mr. Jeff Collins, the fool who had licked along my loves face. He had dared to place his tongue on her skin! For him I decided on a Columbian Necktie, a little too quick for what he'd done but I managed to put my own spin on it, with the help of my healing blood. I slit his throat, reaching in through the new hole I had made I grabbed his offending tongue and pulled it back down and out through his neck. Then I used my blood to partially heal him that way, unable to speak with his tongue so busy elsewhere. He slowly bled out, in fact if I remember correctly he was the last of them to finally die. Hmmm, yes, he got to see the fate of his remaining siblings before he crossed over to the other side.

"After him came Hayden Collins, the man who had originally taken her from the club. They were all involved of course, it was a family effort after all, but he was the one who had drugged her with vervain. He was the one who had taken her from me, it was his hands that had dragged her away. For his offense, I decided to use a method I learned during my time in Asia. I stripped him naked before suspending him upside down in front of his remaining audience, his eldest brother Braden. When he was fully secured I grabbed my sword, one that Caroline herself had gifted to me long ago, and I began to slowly cut him in half. I started at his groin and worked my way down an inch at a time. To do this right you must make sure to suspend the person upside down that way the brain will receive enough blood to keep the person conscious until the large vessels of the abdomen are severed, which if you do it right could take hours. It did for Hayden anyway. 

"Finally it was time for the ring leader, the eldest, Braden Collins. By this point the entire warehouse was bathed in the blood of his family and their bodies littered the ground, he very much wanted to die. I thought about denying him that, about compelling him to live on forever alone. Then I remembered how my sweet Caroline had looked tied to that chair as they taunted and tortured her and the impulse passed. 

“For him I decided to honor my Viking heritage, I decided to turn him into a blood eagle. This was one of the worst punishments a Viking could be condemned to endure the only thing surpassing it in cruelty was exile, and they had to endure it in silence, one scream and they would be banned from Valhalla cast out to never feast with the gods or look upon the faces of their fallen brethren. I had Elijah hold him face down, on the same table I had used for his dearly departed brother Sullivan. I cut deeply into the skin along his spine breaking his ribs as I went so that they resembled blood stained wings. It was quite beautiful really. Then I reached in and pulled his lungs out through the cuts I had made in his back, making sure to pour some salt on it all of course so he wouldn't get an infection. Let me tell you, he would never have made it to Valhalla, that boy was quite the screamer."

_Elijah looked over the entire warehouse, and his brothers handiwork and found that he approved wholeheartedly. While normally he abhorred such displays of nonsensical violence, for once he and his brother were in full agreement. These men had harmed their family, they had deserved everything that had been done to them._

_"Done brother?"_

_"Yes, I must be getting back to Caroline, we should head home."_

_"Agreed."_

Elena sat back against the wall, having slid down against it some time before. That was horrible! No wonder no one ever went after Caroline after that. If that was what Klaus did to people even when she survived she didn't even want to think about what he would do if she were to ever die. Looking up at the clock as it began to chime for the hour she knew that it was time for her to go. That was it, the story was done, now it was time to face the here and now. It was time to face Klaus.


	11. What's to Come

[](http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/kasey19391/media/Chapter%20art/Only%20One/Chapter%2011.jpg.html)

  
  


Elena walked up towards the mansion on the hill with a deep feeling of dread warring within her with a strange feeling of euphoria. This would all be over soon, one way or another she would be free. She only hoped that her friends would be safe, that their lives wouldn't be taken from them because of her.

Reaching the door she brought her hand up to knock only for the door to slide open to reveal a beautiful blonde girl waiting on the other side of it.

"Hello Elena, I'm Caroline, do come in. We've been expecting you."

Well that wasn't ominous, like at all. Deciding to just let things progress normally and politely for the moment she pasted on her most sincere smile, given the circumstances she wasn't surprised about how fake it looked, and greeted the woman standing in front of her.

"Hello Caroline, it's nice to meet you. I've heard quite a lot about you these last few days."

"Yes, from Rose, so I've heard. You know I never pegged her for the story telling type, but I suppose after Trevors unfortunate end she was bound to change in some way. She had to do something to fill the hours I suppose."

How did she know about Rose? For that matter how had Klaus known? The others wouldn't have told them, would they? She shrugged it off, it was unimportant at this point how they knew, they did know. 

Would they go after Rose for her part in this, for helping them. But why? All that Rose did was fill them in on some history so they would actually stop fighting them, they couldn't blame her for that. Could they? No! They wouldn't, Rose would be fine, she'd already left town and was out of their reach.

"If you'll follow me Ms. Gilbert, I'll show you into the den where you can find the rest of your ragtag group of friends. I'm sure you're eager to see them again. I know they're eager to see you. Especially the human, you know the one, the quarterback."

Matt? They couldn't have hurt Matt, he had nothing to do with any of this. Matt would be fine, he had to be. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he wasn't. Not that she was going to be living for very long regardless.

Stepping through the doorway she was stunned into stillness. There they all were, her friends, hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Matt, Bonnie and Damon in the corners and Stefan hanging in the center of the room as though on display. Of course she now knew that Klaus would have ample reason to hate her lover the most with the history they shared. 

Speaking of Klaus there he stood dead center of it all, like a magician center stage before his waiting audience. He even had the smirk of superiority to complete the look.

"Welcome Elena. Shall we begin?"

Yes, they should begin, it was time to negotiate. She had begun to open her mouth to do just that when his words stopped her cold.

"Don't waste your breath attempting to negotiate. Why would I negotiate for something that I now have regardless? Here you stand. The moonstone has been retrieved, the werewolf Lockwood boy waits chained in the cellar as we speak, my witch eagerly awaits my instructions to begin, and I have three vampires to choose from for the final element of the sacrifice. Quite simply my dear you have nothing to offer in a negotiation, you've overplayed your hand sweetheart." Throughout the entire speech Klaus remained smug and certain of success, but she only really heard one part of the whole grandiose speech.

Three vampires? Stefan, Damon, and -

"Three vampires?"

"Oh yes of course, say hello to your friends darling Rose."

Turning she found Rose's terrified eyes meeting hers. Oh no. But he only needed one vampire for the ritual, why would he grab Rose when he didn't really need her?

"To answer the question so plainly written on your face. Rose is a back up, a failsafe just in case I decide to allow another fate to befall the brothers Salvatore. I have not yet decided."

He hadn't decided, she had time to save them. She would feel bad about Rose of course, but Rose wasn't Stefan or Damon. If it came down to a choice the answer was simple really. Just as she was gearing up to plead for their lives she finally saw it. That light in Klaus's eyes. He was playing with her. He already knew exactly what he was going to do, and nothing she said or did would stop him now, he just wanted to pass the time by watching her try.

"Oh you are clever aren't you darling. I have to say, by far, you are the smartest of all the doppelgängers I've had the misfortune to become acquainted with in my longer than average life. The others would have begged and pleaded with me until their voices broke and their throats were raw. You are smart. Only question now is how smart are you?"

She knew what he meant. Was she smart enough to give up? To give in to his plans. Was she smart enough to guess the consequences of fighting back? 

He already had a witch of his own, he didn't need Bonnie, if she played this right her best friend could be freed. 

There was no use for Matt at all, he too could walk out of this. 

He only needed on vampire, two of them could walk out of here. While she was fairly certain that the vampire he would use would be Stefan no matter what she said or did, that still meant Rose and Damon could live. 

Was she smart enough to save them or dumb enough to kill them all?

Taking a step further into the room she met his eyes for a moment and knew her answer. Truth of it was that the answer had always been the same, since the beginning. She would save them if she could.

"I won't fight you."

"Excellent, darling, shall we get started then."

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. She didn't want to die, but she wouldn't let others die for her either. This was the only way. 

Feeling Caroline grab her from behind she felt the world around her shift and change. Caroline had picked her up and was running towards something at top speed. Once the world stopped moving around her she opened her eyes to find a clearing in the woods, with a witch and someone she could only assume was Elijah waiting for them. This was it, her end.

Stefan watched helplessly as the girl he loved more than anything closed her eyes and accepted her death before being rushed away from him. This could not be happening. They had, had a plan. They were supposed to be able to prevent this.

"Don't worry ripper, I'm sure you'll see her again, in the after life. If such a place truly exists for our kind."

"You aren't letting any of us go are you?"

"On the contrary my old friend. The Bennett witch and the quarterback will be freed shortly. Once this is over my brother Elijah will decide the fate of Rose here, seemed only fitting since he did the same for Trevor after all. Damon will be remaining here in the cellar for a time, I'm afraid his life won't be quite what he's used to, but he did bring harm to my darling Caroline and that can't be so easily forgiven. Take heart that he will live a very long time after you are gone. As for you, you are going to help me break a curse that should never have been placed to being with. Your death will hold the meaning that your life never did."

Clapping his hands together Klaus let his excitement and his vampiric nature to show on his face.

"Shall we get started then?"


	12. Epilogue

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Klaus walked through the woods that he still knew like the back of his hand, even after all these years. His fingers intertwined with his loves as they both made their way through the forest that used to be their home towards the falls where they had first met.

Neither of them spoke a single word, both knowing that silence was best for this particular trip. Glancing over he saw that her mind was as far away as his own, he knew she was most likely thinking of the same time as he was. The time that had started everything that they had finally finished a few hours before. The curse his mother had placed upon them both was finally laid to rest and standing here in the woods where it was first laid upon them he couldn’t help but remember that day anew, as though it were yesterday rather than a thousand years ago. 

He could still see his mother’s hate filled eyes as she spewed her venom. Her words echoing in his memory as it had every day of the last thousand years. Hopefully now that the curse had been lifted it would finally stop.

_“She loved your wolf so much - I figured - she should have one of her own. For only a monster can truly love a monster. Every full moon she will shift, in agony, this is my gift to you both." The word gift was filled with such vile hatred it was clear what she meant, curse._

_"Ahhhh!" Pulling his hand free turning from the vile woman who was his mother he raced across the room to be at his loves side. He could see the pain etched on her face, it was unbearable._

_This could not be happening. This was not how their lives together were meant to be. They were going to get married, they were going to leave, move far away from this place and never look back. They were going to be happy._

_“Caroline love, look at me.”_

_“Nik?” Her voice was weak and her eyes unfocused, unseeing. He could hear her bones as they began to break one by one, and his own heart broke with each sound._

_“I will fix this love, I swear it, I will not allow your fate to mirror my own.”_

_"Hahaha, what is it you think you could possibly do Niklaus? You are a weak pathetic excuse for a man, you can not save anyone from anything, Henrik is proof enough of that. The only way you would even come close to helping her would be to die so that at least she will be spared the agony of knowing that she had fallen in love with such a creature as you." He could feel the heat of fire against his back and he knew he should turn to see what Ester was doing but he could not tear his eyes away from Caroline._

_"Nik-" Carolines voice was small and raspy as though she had been screaming for hours and her eyes wide with fright as she looked beyond him to where his mother stood. He knew that whatever his mother was doing it would likely kill him, but he could not bring himself to care, all he cared about was Caroline._

_Just as he was bracing for the impact of whatever spell was about to be hurled at his back he felt his beloved tense in his embrace just before he was holding nothing but air. Caroline was gone!_

_Turning around franticly looking for her, he found her easily, standing before his mother with her now clawed hand wrapped tightly around the witches throat._

_"Caroline?"_

_"She won't hurt you, hurt us, anymore. I won't allow it." Without pause she pulled her hand back as she dug her nails into the flesh, effectively ripping out his mothers throat. He watched without so much as a twinge of sorrow as his mothers body fell lifelessly to the floor, it was only after Caroline began to crumble herself, her body giving out that he moved at all._

_Rising from the floor with her firmly in his arms he raced towards his village at top speeds, towards the one woman who might have a chance at helping them. Ayana._

_Stumbling into the village he had once called home moments later he found it ablaze. Homes were alight and the villagers, his neighbors and friends, were strewn across the grounds. Dead._

_What had done this? Had the wolves attacked? Why weren’t they in the caves safe from this madness?_

_He ran towards Ayana’s hut hoping that he would still find her there. She had never taken refuge with them from the wolves in the past, he only prayed that she still remained now when he needed her most._

_“Ayana!” He knew he must look like a wild man standing there clutching Caroline close to his chest, his hands still coated in his mothers blood._

_“Niklaus? Caroline? What has happened?" Even in his frantic state he noticed that Ayana did not step across the threshold of her home, and he had a fairly good idea as to why. She knew, what he had become, she knew._

_"Mother, she has cursed Caroline, she has made her into a wolf. Please you must help her, she has already begun to shift, this was never meant to be her fate."_

_"Come inside child, quickly, lest your family return." The relief he felt at the invitation was beyond any emotion he had ever felt before, it nearly took his legs out from under him._

_"My family?" What had his family to do with this carnage?_

_He watched as his mothers old friend sent his beloved into a deep sleep, as she used her magic to help ease her suffering. His own racing heart began to slow at her obvious relief._

_"It is they who have done this great evil you see. Once they were all transformed their bloodlust took hold of them, and their need for vengeance gripped them tight. They were headed towards the village of the wolves when the people of this village were just beginning to return from the caves. It was all too much for them. They began to attack anything and anyone within their reach. I was soon able send them towards the wolves and away from here, but as you can see for yourself it was not nearly soon enough. I only pray they stay away." Even as she spoke the words he could hear it both in her words, and in the unsteady beat of her heart, that she did not believe them. They would return, and it would be soon._

_"I do not understand. What has been done to us?" What demon had gripped his family so that they would so easily turn on their friends and neighbors?_

_"After your brother died your parents became terrified that the same fate would befall the rest of you. They became consumed with the need to make you stronger, faster, more equal to the wolves that they feared would one day hunt you. They came to me and asked for my aide in making that happen, I did everything in my power to try and dissuade them, but it was not to be. I helped them to achieve this thinking that if I had refused them they would simply attempt it all on their own and the result would be disastrous. Even I did not realize the terrible price we would all pay regardless of who had cast the spell."_

_His parents had done this to them all, on purpose. What madness could have possibly befallen them to make them believe even for a moment that this course could end in anything but tragedy?_

_"Why would they do this? What could they have possibly thought to gain?" It truly was madness._

_"It does not matter any longer. For what they thought to gain was far from what has actually come to pass. Ester is my friend and I love her dearly, but this thing should never have been done. Quickly tell me where is your mother? We may need her help to undo this thing she has brought down on young Caroline."_

_He looked down at his bloody hands unable to look her in the eye as he spoke his lie. Ayana loved Ester as she said, if she knew that Caroline was responsible for her death, she might refuse to help them, and they needed her aide badly._

_"She is dead, I ripped her throat out in my rage. She was talking of killing both me and Caroline, she never wanted anyone to know of what I have become."_

_"A creature like you siblings?" He could tell from her cautious words and guarded eyes that she already knew, that she had always know the circumstances of his birth._

_"A werewolf. The change took hold of me after my blood lust rose and I killed one of the wolves in the forest. Of all of us I am truly more monster than man now." Even knowing that, he would not, could not be ashamed. Being such a monster is all that gave him the strength he needed to protect himself and Caroline when he truly needed to._

_"Oh, Niklaus, you poor boy. No one should ever have to endure what you have, I am truly sorry. As for Caroline, while I can not truly undo what your mother has done, I may be able to help in another way. I can lock this new wolve side of hers away, deep within herself, make is dormant in a way. There will be consequences however."_

_"Anything." There was nothing he would not do for his love, nothing he would not endure._

_"First of all in order to do this thing I would have to bind her wolf to another. For me to seal away her wolf I would have to seal away yours as well. You will never be able to shift again until the curse is truly broken. Only then will the both of you be freed. Second I can not completely suppress the curse your mother has created. She was a very talented witch, with great power, but I can lessen it some. Caroline will still be forced to shift into her wolf form once a year on the last full moon of that year. However, since she is not a true wolf, one born to this curse, her transformations will be slower and far more painful than that of a normal wolf. She will need your help Niklaus." His love would still suffer? Fate was truly cruel, but he would make sure she never suffered alone, he would be there for her every step of the way, until this curse was broken and they were forever free._

_"I shall remain by her side always. She and I shall spend the rest of our lives together." Just as they had planned, before this terrible night._

_"That is another problem Niklaus."_

_"What?" What more could their possibly be?_

_"After your family lost themselves to their baser natures I spent some time looking into the consequences of the spell that we had cast. I spoke with the spirits and it would seem that when we did this thing, we were not as cautious as we should have been. Your parents wanted to protect their children forever and that is exactly what has been granted to them. Forever. Your siblings and yourself shall not age from this day forward. You shall live for centuries past where you should have died."_

_"We are immortal?" How could he be expected to live for an eternity when he did not even wish to live for the remainder of this night?_

_"Not exactly, you can be killed, though not easily, no you have been granted longevity. You will live possibly for thousands of years. Caroline on the other hand is not as you are."_

_"There must be a way to keep her with me, to make her as I am, as we are." Live forever without Caroline? Impossible. He would not do it._

_"If she had still been a normal human girl I would have said there was, however, she is now a werewolf and one supernatural being can not be so easily turned into another."_

_"But I -"_

_"You were human when the spell turned you, your werewolf side had not yet been brought out in you, Caroline has already begun her first shift. It is not so simple for her."_

_"Then make is simple! I can not lose her. She is the only person who has ever genuinely loved me without reservation. I need her Ayana, without her I am nothing." He turned from her not wanting anyone to see his anguish so plainly in his eyes. Looking out into the destruction of his home he tried to image an eternity without his beloved by his side. An eternity alone._

_No! It would be unbearable. He knew then and there that should Caroline ever die, should she ever so completely be taken from his side, he would follow her to whatever fate awaited them in the next life. Surely it would be far kinder than what they had already been forced to endure in this one._

_"There may be a way for you to share your own long life with her. Be warned young wolf, if you do this thing there will be no un-doing it. Your life would be hers and in exchange her life yours. If either of you were to die the other would follow them to their eternal rest before the coming dawn. She would be weaker than you, more vulnerable to harm, do you truly wish to bind your fate to one who could be so easily harmed. To one so weak?"_

_"She is not weak. She never had been, no matter her limitations she will always be the strongest person I have ever known and I will proudly stand beside her for all of my days. Bind us Ayana, please help me stay by her side. Forever and always."_

Looking out at the falls where he had first seen her, his siren, he tried to shake the thoughts of that time free. It would do him no good at all to dwell on it now, it was long past and long done. Ayana had bound them together as he had asked, and for the last thousand years they had walked this world hand in hand. Now, they were truly free!

"What do you want to do now love?"

"I think it is time we reunite the family don't you. We are free now, they should be as well. Let's leave this cursed place and never return."

"Anything for you love, let's go wake the others then shall we."

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So that's it the end of this story. I'm thinking about maybe doing a one shot follow up on it where you see them waking Rebekah, Finn, and Kol and their reactions to everything. If I do it won't be for a while though. Well, drop a review and let me know what you thought, can't wait to hear from you.


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